Three's Company
by ThefourthHallow
Summary: Really he should be grateful. After all when most people die they go into the bright white light. Instead they decided to stick around. Now if only he could get them out of his head... Voldemort's soul wasn't the only thing that latched onto Harry Potter that fateful Hallowe'en night. And slacking off on your homework is hard when mom is looking out your own eyes
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One - The Merge

"Lily it's him! Take Harry and go, I'll hold him off!" James Potter barely had time to get the words out before the front door exploded inwards. Yet as he ran towards the door he knew his life was at an end. He just hoped Lily could get Harry to safety.

"Avada Kedavra!"

As the killing curse rushed towards him James' thoughts turned to his son. There was so much he wanted to tell him. To let him know that he would miss him. As the green light surrounding him pulled his soul from his body his last thought was, "I love you Harry".

—

She burst into the nursery and slammed the door shut. It was then that she realized she had left her wand downstairs. She reached for the door when she heard the two words that meant that James would never move again.

"No!"

Panicking now she started piling boxes against the door. She looked over at Harry and saw him standing in his crib. Trembling she walked over and picked him up and held him tight.

"It'll be alright, Harry. It'll be okay." she whispered.

The door blasted open, boxes flying aside revealing the most feared wizard alive. Lord Voldemort stood tall, and held himself casually as if he didn't just commit the murder he did.

"Give me the boy"

Still holding Harry, Lily turned around and walked over to his crib and set him down before turning around and standing between Harry and the dark wizard.

"Leave him alone," she whispered softly yet with determination.

Lord Voldemort narrowed his eyes.

"Stand aside, silly girl, and I will let you go free"

"Leave him, I beg of you! Take me instead, leave my baby, please."

Lord Voldemort had been sure she would leave and flee. He couldn't understand how one would waste there own life for another. Not that it mattered. He would kill them all instead. Still he would give one last chance.

"I said, stand aside… Now!"

"Please don't no, take me instead, just leave Harry, not Harry" she begged.

Stupid girl, he thought before casting the curse. As light hurtled toward her she knew that he wasn't going to let Harry live. All because of that damn prophecy. She contented herself with the fact that in whatever next adventure she entered Harry would be joining her soon.

"I love you Harry"

—

Warm. It was the first thought that occurred to him. Weird really. He no idea where he was as all around him was pitch black. He wondered why he couldn't feel his limbs or why it felt like he was floating and yet the first thought he had was that he was warm. But warm he was and he figured it was better to dwell on what he knew rather than what he didn't. Although he wasn't sure where he was, he felt quite content. Like he was where he was supposed to be, even though he wasn't sure what that meant.

He was suddenly aware that he was not alone. How he knew that was lost to him as everything was black. Yet he was sure that there was someone else nearby and he drifted closer.

"Hello?" he called out

And then he heard the sweetest voice reply and he was sure that he had gone to heaven.

"James?"

"Lily!"

James Potter wanted nothing more than to rush up and embrace his wife. It was then that he realized he had no idea where she was. Her voice sounded like it was coming from all directions at once.

"James, where are we?"

"I don't know, I can't see anything." he said. Why can't I see her? he thought. He was about to ask her this when a scream ripped through the dark. All of a sudden it was like the lights had been switched on bright and fast. After readjusting his eyes he realized he was staring up at a giant of woman. No that wasn't quite right, not if the door way she was standing in was any indication. It was then that he realized he was...small?!

"Oh my gosh!" again Lily's voice and again it came from all directions. James was starting to get worried about all of this.

"Petunia!"

James looked closer at the woman. She was right, it was her sister. Petunia reached down and picked him up before hurriedly bringing him inside.

Wait…picked him up? James may have been a slightly lightweight guy but even he was sure this thin looking woman would have difficulty picking him up.

"Vernon ….Vernon!" Petunia rushed up the stairs

"Lily? Are you still there?" James looked around but couldn't spot his wife anywhere. It seemed he was in a house, a muggle one at that."

"Yeah I'm still here," she said. "Your voice… it sounds like its coming from everywhere at once!"

"So does yours. Lily can you feel your… well anything? I can't feel my arms or even my feet!"

"Me either, it's like I'm just a head! Heck I can't even even talk out loud."

"Is this some kind of spell Lils? I mean even in a full body bind you can still feel your lips, or even if you have to pee. I know cause one time Sirius and I were…"

"James!"

"Er… right sorry got off track."

"Even if there was a spell to create this sense of… bodilessness, that doesn't explain how you're in my head."

"In your head? I thought we were in my head!

"James for all we know we could be in somebody else's head."

"Really? If so, whoever's head we're in isn't doing very much thinking…"

Before she had a chance to answer, Petunia came down the stairs Vernon in tow.

"Honey what is it you need to show me at 5:30 in the morning?" Vernon's rough morning voice came from out of sight.

"If its one of Dudley's messes, it could wait until late-" suddenly Vernon and Petunia both came into James and Lily's line of sight and Vernon abruptly cut off.

"Pet… thats not Dudley."

"What's a Dudley?" asked a confused James. "Dudley is my nephew," said Lily.

"Vernon, this is my nephew…Harry."

"HARRY!" James and Lily both shouted in surprise. And then, "Ow!"

"Note to self, never yell like that again, it's loud in here." James said.

"James that explains everything! That's why we can't feel our limbs, we're not even in our own bodies! We're in Harry's!" And then panic set in, "Oh my God! I am in my own son's body…," then as an after thought, "with my husband."

"Well you could be with worse company," James joked.

"Ok and what is your nephew doing at our house and who the heck brought him here?" Vernon peered out the window.

"I found him on the doorstep, Vern. There was a note," she paused and looked away from Vernon, hers eyes suddenly far away and her voice empty, hollow, "It said… Lily and James are dead. The wizard that had been hunting them finally caught up to them. Only Harry survived…"

Vernon's eyes went wide, "Dead? This… _wizard._ Why would he not kill Harry too?" then winced. Even he recognized how little tact that was. "I mean surely he would have been able to if he wanted…"

But Petunia shook her head, "Apparently he tried, the…spell backfired though and now he's dead."

"What?" cried James and Lily.

"Did she just say Voldemort's dead?" said James incredulously.

"Thats impossible!" said Lily, "the killing curse doesn't backfire, especially for Voldemort!"

But as if hearing Lily's voice, Petunia turned to Harry and spoke, "All that was left was this scar on his forehead." And she reached down and brushed Harry's hair away from his forehead. She stood back up and picked up the letter off a table

"The letter said we have to take him in Vernon, this wizard had followers that would kill Harry in revenge for what he did to their master.

Vernon sighed, "Pet, We can take him in, but," Vernon sat down. "I only did want to have one kid, you know? Not that we can't afford another, but Dudder's is all I really wanted."

She scurried over to him, "I know honey," She paused for moment. "But just because Harry will be here doesn't mean we have to let him take away from Dudley's place as our baby boy."

"Where's he gonna sleep anyway? Dudley's cot isn't big enough for two…"

"What about the spare room?"

"I don't know, theres all those valuables in there, we couldn't have a baby in there."

"Hmm," Petunia looked around. Suddenly she got got up and strode across the room. Curious, Vernon followed her. She stopped beside the stairs and opened the cupboard door. Inside lay a mop, bucket, broom and other various items.

"What do you think?

"I suppose it could work..if some stuff went to the garage…"

"I could put the cleaning supplies in the kitchen…"

"Alright its settled then. Harry will sleep in the cupboard."

And so he did. For ten years Harry would sleep in his cupboard underneath the stairs, lying underneath the cobwebs of spiders young and old, dreaming dreams of flying motorcycles, mysterious green light and cold laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two - Sept Morn

"Psst" The sound came in like a breeze in the wind, loud enough to be noticed, quiet enough to ignore. So he ignored it.

"PSST" This time it was like standing in a wind storm, and not so easy to ignore. He rolled over and pulled the covers over his head, ignoring the fact that, that wouldn't change things in the slightest.

"Go 'way." He slurred. He felt more than heard the exasperation in the sigh.

"Alright, you made me do this…HARRY GET UP!" It was like a cannon going off over top of him. He rolled over quickly…right off the side of the bed. In the background he could hear laughter.

"ARRGH! Bloody hell! What was that for?" He slowly got up and walked over to the light switch. Click. "Is it possible to get any sleep around here."

"Language, young man. You remember what day it is, do you not?"

He grimaced. "Yes mum, September 1st," He grinned, "I get to go to magic school today, woohoo!" Suddenly he was wide awake. He looked at the clock. _9:36am._ "Bloody he- I mean, dang we're late." He rushed around his room grabbing clothes and various items and throwing them into a half packed suitcase."

"Didn't you tell Vernon you wanted to leave at half past nine?" A male voice this time.

"Morning dad," he reached under the bed and pulled out a pair of trousers."And you know what they say, the best laid plans never survive first contact with the enemy."

"I think Helmuth would be rolling in his grave if he heard you applying that quote in this situation." he muttered.

"What he doesn't know wont hurt him," He paused for a moment, "Hey you're not gonna tell him I said that are you? You know since you're both technically dead and all…"

"Might we remind you that while we are without bodies, we have yet to cross into the afterlife?"

"Yeah I know. Hey have you seen my-"

"On your nightstand."

"Oh right. Hey what about that new-"

"Already packed it."

"Oh ok. Hey what about my wand?" Pause.

"You lost your wand?" Lily said incredulously.

"Well I wouldn't say it's lost. I mean it's definitely in this room," he muttered, looking around.

"Alright what's the last thing you remember doing with your wand?" Lily asked. James snorted.

"Using it to practice a moustache growing charm. Hey do you think I have any stubble?" He ran a hand over his smooth face, "Never mind."

"Did you check the bathroom?" James asked.

"Of course that must be it!" then paused, "Dad I haven't left the room, being in my head and all you should know that I haven't checked the bathroom," he laughed.

"You know what son, body or no body I need coffee to wake up. When are you going to start drinking some? You know, for my sake."

"Urgh definitely not anytime soon," he said walking into the bathroom. "Ah here it is."

As he picked it up he felt that familiar feeling of euphoria run through his hand into his whole body. Some gold sparks shot out the end of the wand. Ollivander had told him that the wand chooses the wizard and he wasn't one to disagree. His wand had a certain thrum to it. Holding it was like standing on a cliff, in the middle of a hurricane. Pure Power.

"Better hurry up before Vernon changes his mind about bringing us, I mean you," James warned.

"Right, I think I got everything now." He ran back to his room where he double checked that he had everything and zipped up his suitcase. It was an old battered thing his aunt had pulled out for him but it would do the job.

"Think next year I can get a new suitcase?" he asked heaving it up. "Preferably one with wheels?"

"We'll see," his mum replied.

Harry made his way downstairs. Vernon was at the table drinking coffee and reading the paper. His aunt was washing dishes at the sink. Harry brought his suitcase to the front door set it down. He looked around for his cousin, but he didn't seem to be around.

"Uncle Vernon?" His Uncle grunted in reply. "I'm ready to go now." Harry anxiously started tapping his foot. Uncle Vernon shared a quick look with Petunia, then he sighed and pushed his chair back.

"Late are we?"

"Er, I overslept a little. There's still time to make it I think. London's an hour away. We should have time."

"Very well then," Vernon brought his cup to the sink.

"See you in a couple hours Pet, I'm gonna run some errands in town." She nodded, and he gave her a quick peck.

"Alright let's go boy"

—

Kings Cross, Harry decided, was the largest place he'd ever been to. The train station was packed with people, moving to and fro. That said, with the big signs and train station numbers everywhere, it wasn't too difficult to navigate.

Harry and his uncle moved through the crowd, Harry pushing a trolley with his suitcase on top and his uncle walking beside.

"Which platform is it then?" his uncle asked, beady eyes looking around.

Harry pulled out his Hogwarts letter from his pocket and pulled out the train ticket inside.

"Nine and three quarters," he said. His uncle stopped and looked down at him frowning in annoyance.

"Is that some sort of joke?" he asked.

"No really it says nine and three quarters," he showed him the train ticket. Vernon looked it over in disbelief.

"Boy, I want you to carefully look around," he turned around and pointed up, "right now we are at platform 7, on the other side is platform 8. Over there is platform 9 and right beside it, let me check now, oh wait… yep that's platform 10. So where do you suppose nine and three quarters would be?" his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Harry blinked in surprise and looked at the ticket again

 _"_ _Er mum? Some help here?"_

 _"_ _Platform nine and three quarters is hidden,"_ she said, _"You have to walk into the barrier separating platforms nine and ten."_

 _"_ _Ah, thats… rather lame for a secret entrance"_

"Well its hidden obviously," Harry said turning his attention back to his uncle. "Obviously a train taking wi- my kind of people has to be kept secret. Uncle, I think I'm good from here. Thanks for the ride." He began wheeling his trolley towards platforms nine and ten. His uncle looked on in disbelief.

"If you say so." And he went the other direction back to his car. Pushing his trolley forward, Harry glanced up at the clock. _10:42._

 _"_ _Guess we made it in good time."_

 _"_ _So we did. Still have a train to board though."_

 _"_ _And you'll need to find a compartment."_

 _"_ _Of course. I can't wait. For the first time, I'm going to have wizard friends!"_ he grinned. _"I wonder what wizards do for fun?"_

 _"_ _Did you say fun? Well I can tell you all about that-"_

 _"_ _Not now James, Harry needs to get aboard the train. Don't you Harry?"_

 _"_ _Yes mum."_

 _"_ _Ah there's the platform over there. You just need to walk through it. You can take it at a run if you're nervous."_

 _"_ _Yeah cause running at the brick wall will calm me down."_ he rolled his eyes. Nevertheless he picked up the pace and aimed for the wall at a brisk trot.

 _"_ _Hope no one is standing behind it."_

There wasn't anyone standing behind it, luckily. The moment that he would have hit the wall there was a slight shimmering in the air and a tingling feeling ran over him. Suddenly he was on the other side. He stopped and stared. It was filled with wizards and witches of all ages wearing pointing hats and different coloured cloaks. There were kids that were Harry's age and size to obviously older teens that that seemed to tower over him. Some were carrying animals (a cat as a pet seemed normal enough) but some were carrying owls and he could have sworn he heard someone say they lost their toad (Who has a toad?). In the background of it all stood the Hogwarts Express train, red paint gleaming, and steam coming off of it. Right above it was the sign, _9 3/4._

"Wow," he said, quite speechless.

 _"_ _If you think that's something, wait until you see the school,"_ James said.

 _"_ _Better move along, before someone else comes through the barrier,"_ said Lily

He slowly pushed his way through the crowd, towards the train. There was so many Magical's here it was hard to comprehend.

"And I thought Diagon Alley had a lot of people."

Harry threw his trunk onto the train and climbed onto it. Once inside the sounds from the platform behind him became muffled. Inside kids bustled around, moving up and down the train. Some, mostly older years, walked, while the younger ones seemed to run about. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits and chatter filled the air. Students were filling each other in summer vacation stories and who had been where. Harry grinned. It truly was a magical place. He walked down the hall looking for a compartment. Many were already filled with peoples belongings, and Harry assumed that these were placeholders while the students roamed the train. He made his way through a couple of cars towards the back of the train, finding an empty compartment near the end. He set his trunk down and took a seat. He noticed a luggage rack up top. He got up and tried to lift the trunk up onto it but found it weighed a lot more than he realized.

"Hmm. Could I get a little help here?"

 _"_ _Of course, honey. Shall we use the levitation charm or the feather weight charm?"_

He thought about it. _"People might wonder if they see me with a trunk that weighs nothing. Let's do the levitation charm and make sure no one sees."_ He shut the door.

 _"_ _All right, got your wand handy?"_

He stuck his hand in his jeans and pulled it out. "Ready when you are."

 _"_ _Alright pay attention and you should be able to learn it at the same time."_

He nodded, then realized she couldn't see him. "Right."

Suddenly the presence that he knew to be Lily Potter entered his mind. Her conscience pushed against his and he let hers inside. Everything went numb. He watched his feet square up to his trunk but felt nothing. His arm raised itself and he watched in fascination as it swished and flicked, before his lips moved and spoke.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

The trunk suddenly lifted into the air, over his head and smoothly set itself down on the rack. Slowly her conscience slipped out of his mind and feeling returned to him. He shook himself off and was about to congratulate himself when he heard a voice behind him.

"Mate that was wicked!"

Damn.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Misdirection

"Mate that was wicked!"

Harry spun around. Facing him were two identical redheaded boys who looked to be a little bit older than he was. They most certainly were taller.

"Er, hi," he said. "It's just a levitation charm," hoping to downplay things a bit. The identical twins (Harry guessed) turned to each other.

"Just a levitation charm, says the first year student," one of the redheads said.

"Most first years have trouble lifting a feather," the other redhead added, "and that's _after_ they've had the lesson."

"By the time we were all finally able to get the feathers to float, we were moving on to a different charm."

"I bet there are some that can still only levitate a feather," the one redhead said and they chortled for a moment, before looking at him peculiarly.

"Care to explain your secrets?," one said.

"If you don't, be prepared to be pranked mercilessly until you do." They grinned maliciously.

Harry smiled nervously, "It's no big deal, I just read into the charms book a little, I've been practicing that one for a couple weeks," he lied.

"Ah so you're one of those prodigies?"

"Er, maybe," Harry said. "I guess it just comes easier to me. No need to prank me mercilessly now right?"

"Well George? What do you say?"

"I suppose his story, checks out Fred." They turned back to him.

"Alright, little firstie, we're letting you free this time."

"But if we catch you performing unexplainable-"

"Life changing-"

"Heroic-"

"Acts of magic."

"We will be hauling you in for questioning."

"After all, we can't have you, taking all the ladies to yourself now can we?" They looked at him with identical evil grins.

It was hard trying to keep up with these two, bantering back and forth but he did manage it.

"Right, no crazy magic and no stealing the ladies. Anything else?"

"I think that just about covers it," the one who was referred to as Fred said.

"We'll see you at the castle firstie."

And with that they left the room. There was quiet for a moment before Harry said,

"So…what do we do when we start performing unexplainable, life-changing, heroic acts of magic?

 _"_ _Damned if I know."_

"Wonderful."

 _—_

The throng of people around her dispersed quickly. She grabbed her trunk and tried not to get stepped on. She began making her way down the car looking into compartments to see if there might be some students her age. She was more than a little nervous. Most people here seemed to know somebody, and she was unsure about joining a group of people that seemed to already know each other so well. Compartment after compartment she looked into. Many of them already had older students in them and she passed them by quickly. She went into the next car. Inside was a boy, a little baby faced and a little bit on the chubby side. He seemed to be her age. He was walking slowly with his eyes on the floor scanning for something it seemed.

"Here Trevor. Here little toady, toady."

"Excuse me," she said. The boy looked up quickly. "Are you looking for something?"

"Oh hi there," said the boy rather glumly, "I can't find Trevor, he's my pet toad," he explained. "Gran is not going to be happy with me."

Finally she thought, a way to make a friend. "Do you need some help looking," she asked.

"Yes," he said, "that would be great. I'm Neville by the way, Neville Longbottom."

"Hermione Granger," she replied. "Maybe if we look together we'll be able to find him."

"Thanks," he said and seemed to perk up a bit. I've looked in the cars in the direction you came in. He's always escaping on me, I'm hopeless at keeping him reigned in."

"You know I bet you there are spells for finding lost things, maybe some older students could help us."

"You think they would help us? They might not want to help a first year."

"Well the Prefects should help us, it's there job to look after the students. I read it in Hogwarts, A History."

"Well if you say so," he said, "why don't we throw our trunks in this empty compartment."

After stowing their luggage away, the two first years began their search for the elusive Trevor.

"So," Neville began. "Is this your first year too?"

"It is," she said, "I was thrilled when I got my Hogwarts letter. It explained all the strange stuff that kept happening around me."

"Wait, you mean you're a… I mean your parents, there muggles?"

"Well they don't have magic if that's what you're asking. They're dentists." At his blank look she continued. "It means they take care of people's teeth."

"Oh," said Neville, "So they're like Healers, but for muggles."

"Exactly," Hermione said, pleased he understood.

"Um, Hermione, I'm sure your parents are great folks and all, but um, how do I say this?"

"What is it?" she asked frowning.

"Well some of the students here, they've had witch and wizard parents for generations. Some have had wizard and muggle parents, but it's not that often."

"So what about that?" she said.

"Well, I'm not saying all wizards are like this, but there are some that think they are better than others because they're blood is well… purer than others.

"What? Thats crazy!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah I know, but there are some that would make life difficult for you if they knew you had no wizard family at all. You just might want to keep it to yourself, if you know what I mean."

"Well alright, Neville." They walked together a little more and came to a compartment that had people inside

"We should ask if they've seen Trevor," said Hermione.

"Ah I don't know," said Neville. Really he was hoping it wouldn't get out that he had a toad as a pet.

"It doesn't hurt to ask," she said, and walked to the compartment. Inside were three boys. Two of the boys were definitely overweight she figured, while the third looked to be in much better shape. He had blond hair, slicked back smoothly and was already changed into pristine looking robes.

"Excuse me," she said, cutting off the blond who was talking. "Have any of you seen a toad?"

The boys looked at her and the blond's lipped thinned a little.

"I don't believe we have," he silkily. "And I do believe its considered rude to ask somebody a question before you've introduced yourself," he said.

"Oh sorry," she said slightly taken aback, but then gathered herself and smiled, "I'm Hermione Granger. And the toad is his," she said motioning to Neville. "This is-"

"Longbottom," the blond said. "I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. This here is Crabbe and Goyle."

The two boys grunted in turn. Draco turned back to Hermione. "Granger, did you say? I've never heard of a wizard name Granger."

"Well you wouldn't have," began Hermione. "I'm the first of my family with magic. I still can't believe it's all real."

"Well if it's all too much for you, we wouldn't fault you for wanting to go back home." Draco smirked. "School has enough muggleborns as it is I say."

"What do you mean by that?" she said, getting upset.

"Come on Hermione," Neville urged, "let's go."

"Yeah go with your boyfriend, Granger, together you might have enough magic to make one wizard. A very bad one at that," Draco and his goons laughed.

They quickly fled Draco's compartment, Hermione's face burned in humiliation.

"That utter prat," she seethed. "Where does he get off saying those kind of things? And do you know each other?"

"Don't let him get to you," said Neville, "Draco's father was a really bad guy. It's no surprise his son is the same. Draco and I have seen each other at formal events over the years. Let's just be glad Harry Potter stopped You-Know-Who, or things would be a lot worse."

"I read about Harry Potter," she said. "He's in some of the wizarding books I picked up. Did he really defeat Lord Vol-"

"SSHH!" shushed Neville.

"What?" she said.

"Look I know you're new here and all," he whispered, "but if there is one thing you should know, it's that nobody, and I mean nobody, save for people like Professor Dumbledore, say the name."

"That's ridiculous," she said, "What could saying a name do?"

"The war may have been a decade ago, Hermione, but people are still scared. So many lost family to him." He sighed. "Yes Harry really did beat him, even if no-one knows why."

"Oh… Neville, did you… lose family in the war?" she looked at him in concern.

He swallowed thickly, "Yeah. Can we talk about something else though?" his eyes pleaded with her.

"Yeah of course," she said quickly, looking away from him. She searched for a topic. "So this Harry Potter. He must be coming to Hogwarts this year, wouldn't he?"

"Um, I guess so," he said. "Gran told me that he was the same age as me."

"You mean born in the same year?" she said.

"No I mean same age, he was born one day after me."

"Wow, what a coincidence."

"Yeah. I bet he's super powerful too, if he defeated You-Know-Who."

"Really? He was only a baby wasn't he? It's not like he was casting spells."

"Well yeah, but he must have done something." He then chuckled. "Poor You-Know-Who, stopped by a baby. That's a serious blow to his credibility, I reckon."

"Do you think Harry Potter would be on the train?"

"I couldn't say. Maybe we'll run into him though."

And they continued their search for Trevor and keeping an eye out for Harry Potter.

—

 _"_ _This is really not good. I mean like really, really not good."_ Harry Potter was pacing the compartment he was in brooding about the situation that had just happened with the twins.

 _"_ _I really think you're over reacting a bit son."_

 _"_ _Your father's right dear. Lots of the spells we can do, could be explained by reading ahead"_

 _"_ _It's not just the spells we can do mum and dad. Sure at first they might think I'm some sort of super mage, but what happens when I write an essay on charms and throw in a couple of concepts that you told me we don't learn until 7th year? Or when I start talking about the finer points of the animagus transformation, something that I'm not even sure we will learn in school. I'm telling you it's all down hill from here."_

He huffed and sat down on the bench. Absently he pulled his glasses off and rubbed his face with his hand.

"Hello?" The voice cut into Harry's internal debate and he whipped his head up to see, yet another redheaded boy.

"Are gingers taking over the earth?" Harry asked.

"Um…what?" said the boy.

"Never mind," Harry replied. "Can I help you?"

"Oh yeah," he said. "Mind if I join you? Most everywhere else is full."

"Sure, sure, plenty of room here."

The boy pulled his trunk in and sat down on the bench opposite Harry. He was taller than Harry was, if a little bit gangly. "I'm Ron Weasley."

 _"_ _Oh I wonder if he's one of Molly and Arthur's boys."_

"Nice to meet you Ron. You a first year?" Ron nodded. "Me too. Tell me, do you have any siblings?

"Oh yeah! I've got 5 brothers and a sister. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering. Any of your brother's twins by any chance?"

"Yeah that would be Fred and George. They're third years now. Did you meet them or something?"

"We may have crossed paths."

"Oh. They can be a real pain sometimes, they like to prank everyone. Hope they didn't bug you or anything."

"No no we just said hi."

"Thats good then. Hey do you mind if I let Scabbers out of my pocket?"

"Who?" Harry asked perplexed.

"Oh he's my pet rat. He won't bite or anything, he doesn't do much to be honest."

"If you want to go ahead."

Ron reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a lump of fur. He placed it on the seat beside him. 'Scabbers' took a couple of steps before curling up and going to sleep.

"Told you he doesn't do much." Ron said. "He was my brother Percy's before he was mine." He looked up at Harry, who was transfixed on the rat. "Er, are you ok?"

 _"_ _Are you guys seeing this?"_

 _"_ _James,"_ Lily asked, _"Could it be?"_

 _"…_ _I.. I can't say for sure. It could be Peter, it could just as well be a common garden rat."_

 _"_ _Is there any way to check?"_ asked Harry.

 _"_ _Oh there is a spell,"_ James replied. _"I don't remember the name of it though."_

"Ron, how old is your pet rat?" Harry asked, not taking his eyes off of it.

"Scabbers? Percy found him in the garden when he was five years old, so I guess about 10 years now."

 _"_ _Well guys?"_

 _"_ _We don't actually know what happened to Peter after the Hallowe'en night son. For all we know, he could be in Azkaban right now. It would be kind of foolish to kidnap a rat that might be Peter, only to find out he's rotting away in prison as we speak."_

 _"_ _Fine, but we are looking into this when we get to Hogwarts."_

 _"_ _Of course."_

"Do rats normally live that long?"

"Well I don't think so. Hey maybe he's a magical rat and that's why he's still alive!" Ron exclaimed.

"Perhaps he is," mused Harry, thinking of a different reason the rat might be magical. The sat in silence for a moment watching the countryside go by.

"Hey," Ron said, "I've told you my name, but you never did tell me yours."

"Right, Harry Potter, at your service."

Ron's eyes went so wide it was almost comical.

"You're kidding!" he blurted out. Harry was taken slightly aback.

"Um no, that really is my name. Should I be somebody else?"

"No, it's just that…I can't believe it…I mean, well, you're the boy-who-lived!" he looked at Harry as if waiting for some kind of affirmative. He didn't get it.

"I'm the what now?" Now Harry was really getting confused.

"The one who defeated You-Know-Who!"

"Uh, you mean Voldemort?"

Ron gasped, "You said the name! I mean I would have thought you of all people, but still! And do you really have the scar?"

"How on earth do you know I have a scar? I've been keeping that hidden since I was 7!" Harry was getting more and more agitated with every word Ron spoke.

"Well everyone knows," Ron said, "I mean it's in all the books and…"

"I'M IN BOOKS!" Harry stood up and shouted. Ron suddenly stopped talking and looked up at Harry, slightly fearful now.

 _"_ _Easy there son."_

 _"_ _I think you're scaring him."_

"Harry took a breath to calm himself and sat back down.

"I'm in books?" he repeated almost a whisper.

"Yeah mate. You mean…you really didn't know?"

"No," he growled. "Why am I in books?"

Ron took a moment before starting.

"Well cause you lived obviously." At Harry's raised eyebrow he continued, "Well I mean, I only here about these things from my parents, but from what they say, times were really bad a decade ago. You-Know-Who, he was killing everyone that stood against him. My parents tell me," he swallowed and whispered, "Once You-Know-Who wanted somebody dead, they always, always ended up dead." Harry listened with rapt attention. As did his parents.

"That's what makes you so amazing," said Ron speaking louder now. "For whatever reason he couldn't kill you. All those witches and wizards he killed over the years and he couldn't kill one baby. The only mark that was left on you was that scar. It's why they call you the boy-who-lived."

Harry slowly reached up and brushed his hair out of the way of the scar, tracing his finger along the lighting bolt for the first time in a while. He stared off into space for a moment taking this all in.

"So you're saying…I'm like a famous person or something?"

Ron laughed, "A famous person? Little girls and even boys grew up hearing about how Harry Potter saved the world from the most evil dark wizard of all time. Even my own little sister Ginny knows all about Harry Potter. You know I bet she'll have a crush on you when she gets to Hogwarts."

 _"_ _So much for not stealing all the ladies now, eh son?"_

 _"_ _James! Really I'm sure he's just exaggerating Harry."_

 _"_ _I'm not sure he is mum. Did you see his face when I told him my name? I thought he was going to have heart failure."_

 _"_ _Well even if he is right, it doesn't change anything. You're still going to have work hard in your classes and you definitely are not going to let any fame go to your head. Understand mister?"_

 _"_ _Yes mum. You know I won't."_

 _"_ _I know you won't hon. Just a reminder."_

"Hey Ron, do you think you could keep this to yourself for now? I'd really like to meet people without them know I'm this famous person."

"Oh sure Harry. Wait…if I call you Harry, they might realize you're Harry Potter."

"Call me James then. It's my middle name, so technically I wouldn't be lying to anyone."

"Sure thing, James," he said with a grin. "How about a last name? People will definitely ask you it."

"Oh, right…James Evans then. Something from my mother and father."

 _"_ _That gets my approval."_

 _"_ _And mine."_

"Sounds good to me. Hey Harry… I mean James, how do you not know about being the boy-who-lived? You didn't grow up with muggles did you?" he laughed. Harry just stared at him.

"Wait did you?" he asked.

"I grew up with my aunt, uncle and cousin and yes they are muggles."

"Wow, what are they like?"

Harry raised an eyebrow for a moment. "Muggles are just like us without magic. The Dursley's? The world would go on without them, probably for the better. If it wasn't for some help from up here…," Harry pointed at his head, knowing Ron wouldn't really understand what he meant, "They probably would have tried to stop me from going. Luckily I can be quite…convincing." Harry smirked.

 _"_ _And he just went all, death-to-all-who-stand-in-my-way. I think he gets it from your side of the family Lils."_

 _"_ _James, if I had a fist and you had a face you would seriously regret saying that."_

 _"_ _Just kidding now. You know I love you honey."_

 _"_ _Mmm-hmm."_

"Well it's a good thing you got them to let you go," said Ron, "Say what's your Quidditch team?"

And with that, both boys began talking about the finer points of Quidditch. James had once explained the game to Harry who found it interesting (I mean a sport you play while flying had to be awesome, even if it was just tag), but James couldn't explain all of the moves the players pulled. Ron was able to fill Harry in on some of the maneuvers and which teams were doing well in the National League. In what felt like minutes, a couple hours went by. There was a knock at the door and it opened to a Lady who was pushing a trolley that seemed to be loaded with candies.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" she said.

Ron looked down. "Nothing for me, thanks,"

Harry got up and looked in trolley, he was hoping he might be able to grab a couple of Mars Bars. Instead of Mars Bars though, he found the trolley to be full of strange wizard candies. There's everything there from Pumpkin Pastries to Chocolate Frogs.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "How much are they?" he asked.

"Well, depending on what you get the price will range from 1 knut to 1 Sickle and 3 knuts."

"Hmm" Harry thought.

 _"_ _Hey Dad, you said that only third years and up get to go to this town called Hogsmeade near the school right?"_

 _"_ _Er yeah, unless they've changed the rules…"_

 _"_ _Right, and the only time we get to leave the school is during Christmas break and Easter when we can go visit our families which will definitely not be happening."_

 _"_ _Um I guess so, why?"_

 _"_ _Harry you're not possibly thinking of-"_

"How much for everything on the trolley please?"

Behind him Ron's jaw dropped.

 _"_ _Oh you've got to be kidding me!"_ said Lily.

The trolley lady went speechless for a moment.

"Wait… did you say everything?" he nodded.

"Well that would… let me see," she said, quite flustered. She quickly began counting everything.

"Alright that would come to 78 galleons, 14 Sickles and 4 knuts. Are you sure about this? I mean that's a lot of money-," she trailed off when Harry began pulling out galleons in stacks of ten and passed her 8 stacks.

"There you go," he said. "Keep the change. Mind leaving the trolley here?"

She stared at the money in her hand dazed.

"No not at all," she mumbled. "I think I'll take a holiday now."

The trolley lady left the cart and slowly walked away, still gazing at the galleons.

 _"_ _Hey James, remember how you said, death-to-all or whatever, comes from my side of the family?"_

 _"_ _Yes?"_

 _"_ _Well this comes from your side of the family."_

 _"_ _Touché."_

Harry wheeled the trolley inside and looked at it for a moment before grabbing a pumpkin pastry and picking it up. Then he noticed Ron who was still looking at him with an expression of awe.

"You can have some too if you want."

Ron looked away.

"No that's ok," he sighed, "My mom packed me a sandwich for the ride I think."

Although Harry could tell it wasn't ok with Ron.

"Tell you what," said Harry. "You give me that sandwich and you can have whatever you want from the trolley."

Ron's eyes went wide, "You serious?"

"Absolutely," said Harry.

"Well sure then," said Ron cheerfully. He reached into his trunk and pulled out a brown bag and pulled a wrapped up sandwich out of it.

"Here," he said and tossed it to Harry before reaching for the trolley and grabbing a chocolate frog. "Thanks!"

"No problem."

As Harry idly chewed his way through the pastry and then the sandwich, Ron told him about chocolate frog cards. Ron gave him all the cards from the chocolate frogs he ate, "Its only fair." he had said, "You did buy them." Now Harry had his own set of chocolate frog cards. He watched as 'Dumbledore' moved around in his frame before wandering off. He chatted with Ron and learned about his siblings and hobbies. They were interrupted when the door opened to a group of boys. There were two rather large boys flanking one skinnier pale boy, with blond hair and grey eyes. They stepped in and the blond one spoke

"I've heard Harry Potter might be on the train." He turned to look at Harry. "Are you him?"

"Nice to meet you," said Harry. "I'm James Evans."

"Hmmph," Malfoy said. "Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. Oh and this Crabbe and Goyle."

 _"_ _Watch yourself around him Harry. Senior Malfoy would be cooling his heels in Azkaban, if he ever got caught on any of those death-eater raids."_

 _"_ _Noted."_

Ron sniggered.

"Think my name's funny do you? No need to tell me who you are… red hair, hand me down robes and more freckles than you can afford, you must be a Weasely." Draco turned back to Harry. "You'll find out Evans, that some Wizarding families are better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort, I can help you there."

Draco stuck out his hand. Harry looked up and saw Ron's red face.

"Really now?" said Harry , "You'd do that for me?"

Draco nodded. Ron looked on in horror. Harry thought for a moment before reaching out and shaking Draco's hand. Draco smiled (a fake smile, but a smile nonetheless). Harry smiled back.

"Well Draco I appreciate that. However because wizardry and magic is all new to me, I'm afraid I won't be able to take your advice until I become a little more, how do i say it…integrated with the world. For all I know you yourself could be the wrong sort and I would have no way to know, now would I?"

"I'm not the wrong sort!" Draco cried out, flustered things weren't going the way he intended.

"I never said you were." Harry easily replied. "It's just that I have no way of knowing."

Ron still looked a bit upset, but seemed to be slightly calmer after Harry rebuffed Draco.

"Anyway, I'm still getting to know Ron here, yes this Weasey does have a name, and so far he seems to be the right sort. We'll be sitting together for the rest of the train ride, so if you want to meet with me later and prove yourself to be the right sort it will have to be at Hogwarts. I'm not sure how long classes are, but I'm sure there would be sometime for us to meet up." Harry got up and was ushering Draco and company towards the door. "Anyway nice meeting you Draco, look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts. Bye now."

And with that he slammed the door shut before Draco could get a word in edgewise.

"Pheww." said Harry, "I thought he'd never leave." He turned to look at Ron, "What?"

"You just shook Malfoy's hand!" Ron said in anger. "How could you?"

"Shake his hand? Quite easily," Harry replied. "You just reach forward with your own hand, put it in his-"

"That's not what I meant!" Ron nearly exploded. "He's _Malfoy!_ He follows you-know-who and his family-" Harry cut him off before he could get going.

"Look Ron, shaking someone's hand doesn't mean that you necessarily agree with them. I know that Malfoy is scum, but he is also a student here that I'm going to see for the next seven years. By letting him think that I'm on friendly terms with him he'll probably not annoy me at school to much."

"Oh," said Ron starting to understand, "Still it is Malfoy. Not sure I'd want to shake his hand even if I was pretending."

"Well you can't shake his hand now anyway."

"Er, I can't?" he asked.

"No," said Harry. "You see he publicly insulted you and that just won't do. The only way you could shake his hand now is if he apologized to you. He didn't insult me which is why I could shake his hand."

"Oh, that's kind of complicated, I think."

"Maybe now, but you'll pick up on it. Besides you didn't even pick up on the best parts."

Ron looked intrigued now. "The best part? What do you mean?"

"Well there's two actually. You see, if Draco wants to talk with me he's going to have to prove he's the right kind of person, which he has no chance of doing by the way. And secondly, can you imagine his face when they call 'Harry Potter' at the sorting feast and I walk up?"

Ron suddenly broke into a grin, "Why he'll be furious!" and he laughed then thought for a moment. "But won't he be upset with you for saying that you weren't Harry Potter?"

"I never said I wasn't, I just said that I was James Evans, which is technically correct."

Ron stared open mouthed at Harry.

"You," he said, "Are completely brilliant!"

"I know, it comes with being Harry Potter."

 _"_ _Is your head going to fit out the doorway, young man?"_

 _"_ _I don't know, there are three of us in here,"_ He responded cheekily.

"Touché."

—

Several hours passed and the hills and rolling country side around them turned into denser forest and woodland. The sun had just gone down and sky had darkened considerably. The door to Ron and Harry's compartment opened and a boy looked inside. He was slightly chubby faced with dark brown hair.

"You haven't seen a toad, have you?" he asked anxiously. Harry and Ron shook there heads.

"Ok thanks." the boy left dejected.

"Don't know why he's so upset," Ron said. "If I had a toad, I'd lose it soon as I could. Mind you I've got Scabbers so I can't talk." He looked at Scabbers who lay curled up still.

"He could have died and you wouldn't know the difference," Ron said disgusted. "I tried turning him yellow the other day to make him less boring." He pulled out his wand, an old battered thing and raised it. "I'll try it again."

Just then the door opened and a girl stepped with the toadless boy behind her. She had big bushy hair and slightly large front teeth and she was already changed into her witch's robes.

"Have either of you seen a toad? Neville's lost one" she asked.

"We told him already that we haven't seen it." Ron replied.

"Oh," she said. Then she saw Ron had his wand out. "Oh are you doing magic? Go on then let's see."

"Oh umm alright," said Ron a bit miffed to suddenly be having an audience.

 _"_ _Sunshine, Daises, Butter, Mellow. Turn this stupid fat rat yellow!"_

There was a pregnant pause, while they stared at Scabbers who remained unchanged.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl asked. "Well if it is it's not a very good one is it? I've tried a few spells from the textbook and they all worked for me. I'm Hermione Granger by the way. And you are?"

"Ron Weasley."

"James Evans"

"Pleasure to meet you then. Say I don't suppose either of you have seen Harry Potter on the train have you."

Ron nearly gave away the secret then and there but was able to hold it in.

"No haven't seen him."

"Who's Harry Potter?" Harry asked, ignoring the laughing in his head.

"Why you don't know who Harry Potter is?" she asked incredulously.

"Sorry I'm muggle raised. Grew up with my Aunt and Uncle."

 _"_ _Well I guess we're going into Slytherin for sure now. I wonder if my body is rolling in it's grave."_

 _"_ _Oh give it a rest James. They're ambitious, not evil."_

 _"_ _So you say."_

"Why he's like the most famous wizard ever," she said sitting down next to Harry. "He defeated You-Know-Who, this evil wizard when he was only just one year's old. He's our age now so he should be attending Hogwarts. He's in many wizarding books too, Modern Magical Events, Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. I would so love to meet him. I wonder if he remembers You-Know-Who." she said quite fast.

"I'm sure you'll get to meet him someday," Harry said innocently. "Although being quite the hero, I'm sure he's a busy guy. You know how it is with famous people."

Ron was trying not to laugh, but couldn't hold it in any longer. He was able to turn it into a series of coughs though. Hermione looked up.

"What's wrong with him," she said leaning away from him.

"Oh he'll be fine," Harry said. "Probably swallowed the wrong way."

Ron pulled himself together. "Yeah that's what happened."

"Well alright," she said standing up. "We're going to arrive at the castle soon, so you better change into your robes. I'll see you at Hogwarts." Then she noticed the candy and trolley. "I hope you're not planning to eat all that anytime soon, your teeth will go bad."

Hermione and Neville left the compartment and both boys had a laugh before deciding that they probably should change and did so. Only ten minutes later the train started to slow down. Up and ahead they could see lights from a station platform. Harry pulled down his trunk and started to stuff the candy they hadn't eaten inside of it, before realizing there was no way it would all fit.

"Crap," he said.

Ron looked over and noticed the problem.

"Aw no. Hey want to throw what won't fit in my trunk," he offered. Harry agreed and they began throwing the extra candy in his trunk filling it to capacity. Still there was some left that just wouldn't fit.

 _"_ _We are so getting a magical trunk next year."_

"Your robes have pockets right?" Harry asked Ron. He nodded and then they both crammed the remainder of the candy into there robes.

"There, got it all," said Harry, pleased.

Harry and Ron grabbed their trunks and walked out of the compartment. They joined a crowd of students and made there way off the train when it finally came to a halt. Students seemed to be moving up a pathway. Harry and Ron were about to follow when a booming voice shouted out above the ruckus.

"Firs' years, follow me. All firs' years this way!"

They left the large crowd heading up the hill and joined into a smaller one that followed the voice to a man that seemed larger than life. He seemed to be twice as tall as a normal man and three times as wide.

"Blimey," said Ron.

 _"_ _Hey that's Hagrid,"_ said James

 _"_ _It is,"_ said Lily, _"I miss that big guy."_

 _"_ _No need to worry about Hagrid, Harry, he may cut an imposing figure but he wouldn't hurt a fly."_

 _"_ _You should get to know him,"_ Lily added.

"I will," said Harry accidentally out loud.

"Sorry?" said Ron.

"Nothing."

The first years followed Hagrid down a dark steep path. The only light came from the stars and the lamp that Hagrid was holding.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' look o' Hogwarts in just a sec," he called. "Jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "ooooh."

The path had opened up at the edge of a huge lake. Sitting up high on a mountain on the other side of the lake was a giant castle with many turrets and towers.

"Alright!" said Hagrid, "No more'n four to a boat!" pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron quickly grabbed a boat and were followed in by Hermione and Neville.

When everyone was in, Hagrid yelled, "Forward," and the boats took off across the smooth lake. Everyone was quiet staring at the grand spectacle. They reached the cliff on which the castle stood and went right underneath it through a wall of ivy which hid an opening. They seemed to be going right underneath the castle. The boats reached an underground harbour and came to a stop. The kids disembarked onto the stone dock.

"Is this anyone's toad?" Hagrid called out, checking the boats for stragglers.

"Trevor!" Neville called out. He retrieved his toad and seemed to be much happier than Harry or Ron had seen him all day. They walked in a path cut out from the rock coming out near a large oak door in the castle. Hagrid led them up the stone steps to the door.

"Everyone here?" he said. "Still got your toad?" looking at Neville who nodded.

Hagrid turned around and swung a meaty fist at the door three times.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - The Sorting Hat's Dilemma

The door was promptly opened by an older looking lady, if Harry had to guess he would say at least in her sixties. She had dark brown hair with a fair bit of grey in it hidden underneath a pointed hat, and looked like she was a very stern woman. Perhaps it was because she wasn't smiling, although he supposed she wasn't exactly frowning.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid beamed.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here.

 _"_ _That's Professor McGonagall, then?"_

 _"_ _That would be her."_

 _"_ _Boy did us kids ever drive her up the wall,"_ said a chuckling James.

Professor McGonagall swung the door open wide for all to see. Harry's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. The entrance hall that it opened to was so big, you easily could fit the Dursley's house inside of it. The stone walls were lit with torches and he could barely make out the ceiling.

The students followed Professor McGonagall through the halls. Passing a doorway, Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of students. They didn't go through that door though. Instead they were led to a smaller chamber off to the side. Professor McGonagall stopped and turned around. The students huddled around nervously, fairly close to each other.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." said Professor McGonagall. "The start of term banquet will shortly begin, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has it's own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are here at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while your rule-breaking will lose you house points. At the end of the year the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The sorting ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the school. I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

 _"_ _Why did she look at me when she said that?"_

 _"_ _It's the Potter hair, nothing that can be done about that."_

 _"_ _Great she hates me already."_

"I shall return when we are ready for you," the professor finished, "please wait quietly." And with that she left the chamber.

"Notice how she didn't say how we get sorted," Harry said dryly to Ron.

"Fred told me that there was some sort of test. He said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking," Ron said nervously.

"A test?" said Neville who overheard. "They couldn't! I don't know any magic yet!" he exclaimed, several people murmured in agreement.

"I've read ahead in our school books," offered Hermione talking fast. "There might be some stuff in there that could be useful. There was some sort of spell that could jinx people's feet together, do you think that would be useful? Oh if only I read more." she lamented.

And then everyone was talking about what they could do magically, and if it would be useful or not.

 _"_ _Alright guy's what's the deal with the sorting? People look like they're going to start going into hysteric's."_

 _"_ _Aw I don't know, It's an awfully well kept secret."_

 _"_ _We wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."_

Harry raised an eyebrow before sending off an annoyed vibe into his conscience.

 _"_ _Ooh somebody's not happy,"_ James laughed. _"Alright, alright, but you're not going to believe me. All you have to do is try on a magical hat and…voila! It tells you what house you belong to."_

 _"…_ _a hat?"_ said Harry dubiously. _"That's it? No ritual chambers, no fighting trolls, not even a placement test? A hat?"_

 _"_ _Well this hat was created by Godric Gryffindor a thousand years ago and was spelled to read your thoughts to find out what your most empowering character traits are, and then sort you into the appropriate house."_ said Lily.

 _"_ _Oh."_

 _"_ _So.. are you gonna tell your classmates about it then?"_

Harry looked out at the herd of students that were to be in his year. They were still engaged in wild conversation about how they were going to 'beat' whatever test it was that sorted them into their house.

 _"_ _Nah. I think I'll just let them be."_ he grinned.

"Hey James," Hermione called, breaking him out of his mental talk, "what house do you think you'll be in?"

"What?" he said, caught off guard.

"Well, I mean what house do you think suits you," she continued. "I think I'm going to be in Ravenclaw, because it's known as the house of the studious. Neville, said he might be in the Hufflepuff house, they are known for being hardworking and loyal. Ron wants to be in Gryffindor like his brothers, he said, cause they are known for being daring and brave. I think Slytherin is the house of ambitious and cunning people. So where do you think you would go?"

There were more than a few students watching him now, and he thought for a moment, before carefully wording a reply.

"Are not all of us studious? And loyal, brave and ambitious?" Everyone was now quieting their conversation's to listen to him. "We will go to whatever house we do because we want to go there. Nobody here, and I mean nobody, has only one character trait to show the world. We are all capable of being smart, hardworking, daring and cunning. I will strive to excel in all my character trait's, no matter which house I'm in, be it Gryffindor or Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. So it doesn't really matter to me."

Hermione looked slightly taken aback at his answer as did most of the students. Many of them went back to there conversations. She stuttered, for a moment.

"O..Oh, well I… I guess we.. will still have all the same character traits after we are sorted. So you're not nervous about the sorting then?"

"Not at all. Although if you're nervous, I will tell you that you will be sorted based on which character traits you identify with most strongly."

"I will? That's good to know at least…hey wait, how do you know that?" Harry froze.

"Er."

However, he was saved from answering when dozens of ghosts, came right through the walls.

"Ahh!" several students shrieked and one outright screamed. The students rapidly backed away from the ghosts who were lazily drifting along and too engrossed in conversation to notice the students.

"I say, we ought to let bygones be bygones, give him another chance." one portly ghost was saying.

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He makes a fool of us all and… why I say, what are you all doing here?"

The students stared at the ghosts and nobody spoke.

"New students!" the ghost called Friar beamed, "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff, my old house."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. Professor McGonagall was back. The ghosts drifted on. She led them in a line through the chamber door into the Great Hall. It was the most marvellous room Harry had seen. Torches all around lit up the room. There were four very long tables beside each other each other, where students were seated. Above each table was a different emblem, from left to right he saw emblems depicting a lion, eagle, snake and a badger. Looking up further he was surprised to see that there was no ceiling. The great hall just opened to the heavens.

 _"_ _Er, guys? Am I the only one that's noticed that they forgot the ceiling?"_

 _"_ _It's enchanted honey, to always looks like the outside sky."_

 _"_ _Huh."_

The students were led between the four house tables and a table that seated all the teachers and staff .

"It's enchanted to look like the outside sky, I read it in _Hogwarts, a History_." Hermione whispered beside him, looking up as well.

"You're quite right," he whispered low. Looking at the students he missed her surprised expression. Just then he noticed a stool between the first years and rest of the students. And perched atop the stool was a dusty old worn looking hat.

"Godric could have charmed it to last a little bit longer, don't you think?" he said mostly to himself.

"The sky? I don't think he charmed that." she whispered back.

"Not talking about the sky anymore."

"Oh what then…"

Hermione was cut off when the brim of the hat opened wide like a mouth and started to sing in rhyme. It told the students how it was going to sort them into a house that best suited their qualities and described each house to the students. All it asked was that it had to be worn to see inside one's head. When it finished it's song the students all burst into applause. Ron was looking particularly upset about something, his brother's must have been having him on or something.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, please step forward, sit on the stool and place the hat on your head. Abbott, Hannah!"

A young blond girl with pigtails stumbled out of the line and rushed over to the stool and place the hat on her head, which promptly fell down below her eyes. There was a pause and the it opened it's brim wide and shouted,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the far right burst into cheers and applause.

 _"_ _So I've been thinking."_

Professor McGonagall called another name.

 _"_ _What is it?"_

Another girl ran up to the hat, this one sorted into Hufflepuff as well.

 _"_ _This hat…it looks at our personality traits to decide where we end up?"_

A boy was called next. Sorted into Ravenclaw.

 _"_ _Yes, the hat will determine, which house suits you best. Wondering where you might end up?"_

Another girl called up. Gryffindor now had its newest member.

 _"_ _Actually not really. In the song the hat sang. Mentioned something about looking inside one's head…"_

It seems the students were getting sorted faster and faster. Slytherin got their first addition and Hufflepuff got another.

 _"_ _Well yes, that's how it does it. Otherwise how would it know where to put you?"_ James' voice now.

Finnegan, Seamus, sat on the stool for a minute before becoming a Gryffindor. Suddenly Hermione turned to him and whispered,

"Wait you said your name was Evans, but…"

Suddenly her name was called and she had to stop her line of questioning. She looked at him with inquiring eyes, to which he just gave a small smile and a shrug.

 _"_ _Right of course. So… are you going to introduce me to the hat when it's on my head?"_

Hermione quickly became a Gryffindor and another student was called.

 _"_ _Introduce you? What do…oh… OH damn."_

He watched as more students were sorted. Greengrass, Hopkins, Jones and Li.

"Longbottom, Neville!" was called and the nervous boy fell on his way to stool which drew laughter. Red-faced, Neville sat on the stool for a whole minute before becoming a Gryffindor. He rushed to the Gryffindor table still wearing the hat, before realizing and bringing it back to Professor McGonagall.

 _"_ _So.. what now?"_

 _"…_ _not a clue. Think it won't notice us here?"_

 _"_ _With two of you and one of me I'll be happy enough if it can even find me in my own head."_

MacDougal, MacMillan, Malfoy, and Malone all went up to be sorted. When Malfoy got sorted to Slytherin he turned back to look at the remaining first years and gave Harry a funny look.

 _"_ _Why is he…ah, also thinks my name is Evans. Ha."_

Moon, Nott and Parkinson were all called. About one quarter of the first years were now left. He did a quick count and found there to be eleven left.

 _"_ _Any second now."_ he swallowed.

"Patil, Padma!" and Harry was sure that he would be next. Until,

"Patil, Parvati!" and he thought of how ironic it was that the name that was likely before him belonged to twins. Someone wanted him to sweat it out, he was sure.

"Perks, Sally Anne!"

 _"_ _Seriously?"_

He watched as Sally Anne was made a HufflePuff. His eyes went to Professor McGonagall's eyes. He watched as her eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and her lip gave a light twitch and he knew he was next.

"Potter, Harry!"

 _"_ _Here we go."_

The hall suddenly broke into small pockets of whispered conversations.

"Harry Potter did she say?"

"The Harry Potter."

"Which one is he?"

Harry didn't step out immediately. In fact he didn't even blink. The students were looking at the first years trying (and failing) to find a lightning bolt scar on a male student. There were only five boys and three girls left on stage. Professor McGonagall was looking at each male student trying to figure out who Harry was. She quickly dismissed Ron, his red hair a dead giveaway. She turned to the next student, looking at him. He was dark-skinned though and she passed him over. The next student she looked at for a moment. He had somewhat dark hair, but she passed him on too. Another student had light brown hair and was heavier set and her eyes went by him too. Finally she turned to Harry. She looked at him for second before her eyes suddenly narrowed then widened, and he knew she found him. She opened her mouth to call his name again, but he beat her to it by taking one step forward.

Slowly, but with collected calm, he made his way to the front of the stage. He stared down the students as he walked forward with his jaw set. The students ceased their whisperings as each one felt that they were being watched. He stopped beside the stool. Not taking his eyes off the students he slowly reached out with his right hand and lifted the hat off the stool. With both hands he carefully placed the hat on his head, not bothering to sit down. Rather than let it fall below his eyes, big as it was, he held it in place with one hand and put his other hand on his waist. Then still staring out at the audience he snapped his eyes shut.

 _"_ _Well, well aren't we dramatic. I say lad, you can lighten up a little bit, I think you're scaring the students."_

Harry said nothing.

 _"_ _Not much for talking then? Very well let's see what we've got here. Huh, that's odd, it's like you're coming from three different places at once…"_

Suddenly the hat broke off.

 _"_ _Impossible!"_ it hissed.

"And yet here we are." Harry said simply. The hall was breaking out into more hushed whispers. About 20 seconds had passed already. Professor McGonagall nervously glanced at the staff table were Professor Dumbledore was watching, seemingly holding his breath. Come to think of it, she thought, everyone was holding their breath it seemed.

 _"_ _This..this shouldn't be. This can't… not in the history…"_ the hat was whispering louder now and students were listening in to it's mutterings, as were the teachers.

"Will this be a problem?" Harry said, plainly.

 _"_ _A problem?! You've got…"_ suddenly the hat seemed to realize how loud it was getting and it dropped it's voice to an indistinguishable whisper. _"Three of you in there, and you are the one that wants to know if there's a problem?!"_

"Yes."

The hat gave a loud sigh of agitation.

 _"_ _Alright, I guess if I can find the parts of you that are you…yes that should work, let's see which of you is the one I'm looking for…ah._

"Knew you could manage." A minute had passed. The students were fidgeting, though with every sentence Harry spoke he gained their attention again. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen.

 _"_ _Alright, you've proven you've got courage. With this influx of information you can have on demand, everyone will think you to be knowledgable… though even without it, you seem to have a sharp mind. What else, oh yes a great thirst to prove yourself, and definitely hardworking, how about that. Don't think I've ever seen a student so evenly split between all four houses."_ the hat said speaking up at the end in wonder.

Professor's Dumbledore and McGonagall shared a look at that. As did a few hundred students.

 _"Alright kid, you've really got me here, so I tell you what, I'm going to do something I've never done before. I want you to look out at the tables and I want you to tell me where you want to go."_

"Are you sure?"

 _"_ _Not even a little bit. But there's a twenty-five percent chance you will be choosing the best house for you, which is what I would have done._

"Very well, I will choose."

Professor McGonagall's eyes widened. Several students jaws dropped and students began whispering to each other.

"Did he say he's going to choose?"

"I think he did!"

Suddenly Harry snapped his eyes open. He brought his hand down with the hat in it and scanned the tables one by one, ignoring the whisperings. On the left, the Gryffindors, a feisty looking bunch, talking loudly. Next to them the Ravenclaws. They seemed to talk fast and trade facts back and forth. Beside them the Slytherin's, talking in low voices watching his every move. On the very right the Hufflepuff's, looking at him in wonder and chattering much like family. After a moment he once again placed the hat over his head.

"I'm ready." he said simply.

 _"_ _Very well."_ and then it spoke powerfully more so for him than any other student.

"GRYFFINDOR!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - The Feast and Conspiracy's

The Gryffindor table seemed to literally explode into cheers. The other tables gave a polite applause as well, although it was impossible to hear over the noise from the Gryffindors. Harry set the hat down on the stool and without a backward glance, walked down the steps to where the four main tables were and made a left. He walked around to the side of the table that faced the other three houses and found a place among the other first years. They were still cheering.

"Way to go Potter!"

"Harry our man!"

"We got Potter! We got Potter."

When the ruckus finally died down, Professor McGonagall called the next name and the sorting continued. When she was done, Gryffindor had two more students including Ron Weasley who came to sit next to Harry. Professor Dumbledore stood up from his place at the centre of the head table. The student body fell silent.

"Before we begin, I would like to say a few words. And they are, Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, Tweak. Thank you." He sat back down. As the food suddenly appeared on the tables, Harry was sure he was the only one that caught Professor McGonagall rolling her eyes.

Harry's eyes roamed the table before grabbing a little bit of everything. He watched the other first years as they also put food on there dishes. Ron put everything on his plate except for green beans, Neville didn't touch the cranberry sauce. The boy Seamus Finnegan served himself plenty of potatoes. Dean Thomas grabbed some extra chicken. Harry himself left the peppermint alone.

 _"_ _Keeping tabs on food preferences?"_

 _"_ _We are dear. Hey that's Nearly-Headless-Nick."_

 _"_ _Oh you mentioned him."_

The ghost had floated his way down the table in front of Harry. His eyes looked down to the food.

"My that does look good," he said sadly.

"How long since you've eaten? You look a little pale." Harry joked. The boys snorted. Ron in particular sprayed a little bit of food.

"I haven't eaten in nearly four hundred years," Nick said. "I don't believe I've introduced myself, I'm Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, at your service, resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower.

Ron suddenly spoke up, "I know who you are! You're Nearly-Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer it if you would call me…" began the ghost but he was interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" asked Seamus.

"Like this." said Nick irritably. And he reached up and pulled on his ear. His whole head swung off his neck and onto his shoulder which was only connected by a tiny bit of skin.

 _"_ _Well… somebody had the world's worst executioner."_

Nick seemed pleased by their stunned looks. He flipped his head back up.

"Well, new Gryffindors, I do hope you are going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindor's never gone so long without winning. The Bloody Baron is becoming almost unbearable, he's the Slytherin ghost."

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible looking ghost there, with a blank face, gaunt eyes and a robe stained with slivery blood. He was sitting beside Draco Malfoy who didn't seem pleased with the seating arrangements.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus.

"I've never asked," Nick replied delicately.

Harry studied the Slytherin ghost with interest. He robes were indeed covered in blood. He looked back to Nearly Headless Nick and then looked back at the baron again.

"Harry? What are you looking at?" Dean asked, seeing that Harry had stopped eating.

"Do you find it odd," Harry started, "that the Baron's robes are covered in blood, but Sir Nick's robes are not, even though Sir Nick was nearly beheaded?"

All the boys minus Harry turned to look at Sir Nick and then the Baron.

"Blimey, you're right!" said Ron. "Why do you think that is?" he asked.

"Actually, it's not just Sir Nick, Harry said. "When we saw those ghosts in the hall before the sorting, not one of them had any blood on their robes."

'You noticed that?" said a surprised Dean.

"Not all of us were screaming," Harry replied and some of the boys blushed red. "Anyway I do have a theory…it may be wrong of course, but it's still possible."

"Well, what is it?" said Neville.

 _"_ _Yes, we are intrigued as well."_

Harry glanced down the table both ways, before motioning the boys to lean closer together.

"Alright," he lowered his voice dramatically, "the theory is based on this idea. Imagine that you did something really horrible."

"Horrible like…stole some money?" Neville whispered.

"Horrible like…killed your parents in a fit of anger. Maybe with accidental magic," Harry whispered seriously. Neville gulped. "But of course, you didn't mean to do it on purpose. You get so distraught and feel so guilty you can't bear to live a minute longer. So you a grab a butcher knife, you close your eyes and then…" He mimed, plunging a knife into his own chest."

The boys paled, there eyes wide.

"That's awful," hissed Dean. "But what does that have to do with the Baron?"

"Well the story doesn't end there," Harry whispered, "You see, I believe when you die you can choose if you want to…move on. Or you stay behind and become a ghost. Now back to my theory, when you die, you feel so guilty that you don't feel you deserve to move on. So instead you stay behind as a ghost. But that's not enough. You want the blood to stay on the clothes you died in because you want the world to know that you still feel horrible about what you did, that you still haven't gotten over it. It's your own way of repentance."

He leaned back in his seat. "Anyway," he said, talking normally again, almost cheerful even. "It's just a theory, no way to prove it one way or the other." He helped himself to the mashed potatoes. "Boy this food is grand."

 _"_ _I suppose that's a possibility,"_ mumbled James

 _"_ _Where do you come up with this stuff Harry?"_ Lily sighed

 _"_ _No idea."_

The boys were watching him with wide eyes and none were looking at their food.

"You think…that the Baron _killed_ himself?" said Ron in disbelief.

"Shh!" Harry looked around but no one looked over. "Keep it down will you?"

"Sorry," Ron said and dropped his voice. "You think that the Baron killed himself? And the blood is on his robes cause he _wants_ it to be?"

"Like I said, it's just a theory. I wouldn't think on it too much. So… Who here didn't grow up in a magical household?"

Dean Thomas regaled them all with his life back home in West Ham. Pretty soon they were all sharing stories about there families and lives. Well most did. Harry mostly kept quiet and enjoyed the food, he didn't particularly care enough about the Dursley's to poison the conversation with talk of them. All too soon it seemed, the food vanished from the serving plates, stopping poor Ron from grabbing another bread roll.

"Dang!" he said, "I was going to eat that."

His disappointment turned into sheer joy however when suddenly, the serving plates were loaded again, this time with desserts of all kinds from cakes to pies. Bread roll forgotten, he reached forward and grabbed a couple slices of pie. Harry himself grabbed a treacle tart and was about to take a bite when one of the girls kitty-corner from him asked a question.

"Hey, umm Harry," she said and blushed a little when Harry turned and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Yes?" She was of Indian descent, he noted, with shiny black hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"We were just wondering," and Harry noticed the blond girl next to her following there conversation as well. "what happened during the sorting. Oh I'm Parvati, this is Lavender."

Harry glanced at Lavender and looked back at Parvati.

"Well, I got sorted." he said, with amusement. The boys laughed, though they to looked interested. Parvati looked a little flustered.

"Well, of course you did, I mean…" she took a breath. "It took you the longest to be sorted and…well it almost seemed like you were _talking_ with the hat." She laughed a little until she realized Harry wasn't laughing with her.

"So?"

"Wait you were actually talking with it?" she asked amazed and everyone within earshot was listening now.

"Of course."

Whispers broke out among the Gryffindor table.

"Well?" she continued. "What did it say?" The students leaned in to hear better.

"Why Miss Parvati, that's a rather personal question don't you think?" Harry smirked. "A conversation between myself and an animated item that can see into the darkest recesses of my mind?"

"Oh." she said a little taken aback. "I guess it is a personal question. Is there anything at all you can mention?"

"Well I suppose it wouldn't hurt to mention that it thinks I'm one of the more, shall we say, well-rounded people that it's had to sort. That said, I don't think there's much else I care to mention. Dean pass me that tray of treacle would ya? Ron ate all of the one's on this tray."

"Sure thing man."

"Oi, you had some too!"

"Thank you Dean. And Ron, I haven't even eaten the only one I grabbed off that tray yet."

"Did you really choose the house rather than the hat?" Lavender had spoken up.

He looked back to her. "Heard that did ya?" she nodded. Harry nodded. "I did."

"Why would it do that? And well, why choose Gryffindor?"

How could he explain that? That his parents had told him the tales of sleeping in the highest towers, of red and gold beds and couches. His dad and his friends staying up late doing homework by the fireplace cause they had been too busy playing pranks to bother with it. Of his mom shooting down his dad's attempts to go on a date to Hogshead with him in the Gryffindor common room.

"In the end we all choose the house we go to, whether we realize it or not. The hat just needed me to make a decision, because I didn't feel strongly about any of the attributes that represent the houses. As for why I chose Gryffindor?" he gave a small sad smile. "My parents went there. I thought I might see why they like it…er, liked it so much."

"Oh you know, I would have guessed that." she smiled at him.

 _"_ _Is that the only reason?"_

 _"_ _Nah, I want to keep an eye on that rat. And I figured Ron would go to Gryffindor."_

 _"_ _Be careful honey, if that's Peter, well, there's no telling what he might do when cornered."_

 _"_ _I'll watch myself."_

 _"_ _Hey look up at the High Table son, I want to see who's teaching this year."_

Harry casually stretched and looked up at the High Table.

 _"_ _All right so there's the regular faces. You know I don't see Slughorn. Who would be teaching— oh you got to be kidding me!"_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _Of all the stupid ideas. Who's braindead idea was it to make him a teacher anyway!"_

 _"_ _Really James, I'm sure it won't be that bad—"_

 _"_ _GUYS! Who are you talking about?"_

 _"_ _NOT THAT BAD!"_ James was shouting now in rage and Harry grimaced and held a hand up to his head.

"You all right there Harry?" Ron was now looking at him in concern.

"Headache." he breathed out.

 _"_ _It's Snape we are talking about here! He hated me and I guarantee you he will take it out on Harry."_

 _"_ _He wouldn't now, if he's a teacher I'm sure he knows that wouldn't be allowed._

 _"_ _Just like the dark arts aren't allowed? Didn't stop him anyway did it now?"_

Harry was now picking up on what was going on. _"Wait, that's Severus Snape? The Severus Snape that you hung upside down in fifth year?"_

 _"_ _That's the one."_

 _"_ _By the way, you have to teach me that spell. Alright so he's a teacher now. I'm sure he won't try to kill me or anything would he?"_

 _"_ _Of course he wouldn't do something like that, Harry."_ his mother said. _"If he does do anything, you just give me a minute with him."_

 _"_ _Or you could give it to me."_ James suggested.

 _"_ _Not a chance, James. I don't trust you to talk first and shoot spells second."_

 _"_ _Fine."_ he said grumpily. _"But if you need to wipe the floor with him at any time, you know who to call. Now who else is up there?…Professor Flitwick, of course…."_

 _"_ _Looks like Grubbly-Plank as well, and there's Kettleburn, oh it looks like Charity got herself into teaching…"_

 _"_ _Looks like we know everyone on staff, there's Pomfrey, except…"_ James paused for moment, _"who's that beside Snape?"_

Harry looked closer. For a Professor the man seemed on the young side, he wore a purple turban wrapped around his head. It may have been Harry's imagination, but he also seemed a bit nervous. That's when it happened. The Professor looked up at Harry at the same moment Harry felt a burning sensation on his head, where his scar was in particular.

"Ouch!" he slapped his hand to his head and looked away from the high table.

"Wow that's quite the headache you're getting there," Ron commented.

"You have no idea. _Guys, what the bloody hell was that?"_

 _"_ _I was wondering that myself,"_ said James.

 _"_ _Mom?"_ There was no reply. _"MOM!"_ he mentally shouted.

 _"_ _I'm here,"_ she said weakly.

 _"_ _Lily are you all right?"_

 _"_ _I'm..ok I think. That was horrible."_

 _"_ _Mom what happened?"_

 _"_ _It was so fast. When that man looked in your eyes, I felt such pain. It was a brutal attack on the mind" she trembled._

 _"_ _What? That doesn't make any sense,"_ James said, _"I'm right here too, why would you be worse off than me?"_

 _"_ _I … I can't say."_

 _"_ _Well, what are we going to do about it?"_ Harry asked concerned. _"What if he's one of our teachers?"_

 _"_ _Just don't look him in the eyes for now,"_ she pleaded. _"Not at least until we know why this is happening._

 _"_ _Ok I won't."_

 _"_ _See if you can figure out who he is,"_ James asked.

Casually Harry glanced around to see if anyone could answer that. As luck would have it, there was a Prefect sitting near him talking to Hermione.

"You'll be starting small," the prefect was saying, "turning matchsticks into needles and such."

Harry sensed his chance and leapt into the conversation.

"Sounds like you know a lot of what goes on here." he said looking at the student. He looked over and his eyes widened a little seeing who was talking to him.

"Oh er yes, well I am in fifth year," he said, adjusting his glasses and talking importantly. "And I am a Prefect as well. It's our job to know a lot about what goes on here."

Hermione looked between them. "Harry this is Percy. Percy, Harry. Harry takes enjoyment out of giving people the wrong name and leading them on. Isn't that right, _James?"_ she said haughtily.

He grinned sheepishly. "Well I figured I would enjoy my anonymity as long as I could," looking at Percy who seemed confused. "Otherwise the lasses might not leave me alone." Hermione huffed.

"Anyway, question for you Percy, who might the professor be that's wearing the turban?"

Percy took a quick glance up at the head table. "Oh, well that's Professor Quirrell, of course. He taught muggle studies, although I hear he's taking the Defence Against the Dark Arts post this year. Not sure why he's wearing a turban actually, he wasn't wearing one last year," he mused.

"Really? How interesting." Harry said thoughtfully.

Soon the desserts too disappeared. Professor Dumbledore stood up from the head table and the students went quiet.

"Ahem, just a few more words now that we are fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. It is why we call it the Forbidden Forest. And I believe a few of our older students would do to remember that as well." And Harry was sure he was looking at the Gryffindor table.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term, I would suggest contacting Madam Hooch if you are interested in playing on your house team." A younger obviously physically fit, middle aged woman with short cropped white hair stood up briefly before sitting again.

 _"_ _Harry you got to try flying, you're gonna love it!"_

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out-of-bounds to anyone who does not wish die a painful death."

A few people laughed but not as many as Harry would have thought.

"Blimey," Harry said, "He's serious isn't he"

"Must be," said Percy. "Which is odd because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere. I would have thought he would tell us prefects at least."

"And now before we leave, let us sing the school song!"

It was then that Harry noticed a lot of the teacher's smiles became quite fixed. Actually forget that, Snape was outright scowling. Dumbledore gave his wand a flick and suddenly what looked like long ribbon flew out the end before twisting itself into words.

"Everyone pick your favourite tune, and off we go!"

It was awkward. It was madness. Harry was sure that if you took ten different orchestras and played their music all at once you couldn't reproduce the awfulness that was the school song. When it ended, with the Weasley twins finishing their funeral tune, Harry let his head fall against the table.

 _"_ _You guys thought Enter Sandman by Metallica was bad, but you would sing to that?"_

 _"_ _Well…in our defence it sounded better when we were younger…"_

 _"_ _I doubt that."_

"Ah music," said Dumbledore, "A magic beyond all we do here at Hogwarts! And now bedtime. Off you go!"

—

Hermione and the other Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the crowds and up the winding corridors and staircases. Harry, Neville and the boys were on one side of her, while the girls were on the other. She was so tired that she almost didn't even notice how portraits actually _moved_ inside there frames until she heard them _talking_ to the students. She still was awake enough, however, to notice that they seemed to be moving through hidden passageways behind panels or tapestries as they moved upwards.

"This is amazing." she marvelled. "Don't you think Neville?"

"My Uncle Algie always told me Hogwarts was pretty amazing." he said in agreement. "Guess he was right."

Suddenly Percy stopped and all the first years had to stop too. Up ahead of Percy, a bunch of walking sticks were floating in midair. As Percy went to take a step forward the walking sticks began throwing themselves at him. He jumped back and turned to the first years.

"Peeves, a poltergeist." he whispered to the first years and then turned back to the sticks. "PEEVES! Show yourself!"

A rude sound like the air being let out of a balloon was what he got in return.

"I'm warning you Peeves. The Baron will hear about this!"

There was a pop and a little man with wicked dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared sitting cross-legged in mid-air, holding all the walking sticks.

"Oooooh." he said with an evil cackle, "Ickle firsties, what fun!" And he swooped towards them.

"Peeves I'm warning you right now, leave now or the Baron will hear about this!"

Peeves stuck out his tongue before vanishing and dropping the sticks on Neville's head. They could hear him zooming down the corridor, hitting coats of armour as he passed.

"You'll want to watch out for Peeves." said Percy as they set off again. "Only the Bloody Baron can control him, he won't even listen to us Prefect's. Here we are…" he started to say but cut himself off when he saw that there was a Gryffindor already at their destination. There at the end of the hall leaning against a wall was Harry Potter, looking for all the world like he might have been waiting for a bus. He was talking to a portrait, a painting of a lady in a pink silk dress.

"Harry?" said Percy in surprise. "How did you get here so fast? Heck how did you even know where to go?!"

Hermione turned to look at where Harry had been not even sixty seconds ago, almost willing him to appear beside her where logic told her he was _supposed_ to be. Of course it didn't change the fact that he wasn't beside her and she looked back to where he was. He looked up at them and smiled.

"Hey Percy, just thought I'd take the scenic route. Although," he said looking at his wrist as if there was a watch there. There wasn't one of course, but that was besides the point. "It would seem you took a longer route than even I did."

Percy sputtered and some of the first years chuckled. "Well…we were held up by Peeves! And how did you know where to go?" annoyed he was being shown up by a first year.

"Oh I was just told to look for a lady wearing a pink dress and that her portrait would open to our house room. Unfortunately a password is needed, but I'm sure that if I work the Potter charm a little longer she let me through, won't you Ms. Elaine?"

"Oh you're a charmer aren't you?" she giggled. "Though I'm afraid you're a bit young for me dearie."

 _"_ _You know if we add our ages together we are probably older than her."_

 _"_ _Oh give it up."_

"And you just happened to find the right portrait?"

"Well I am good like that." he smirked.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Alright then. Caput Draconis."

The portrait swung open wide. Harry disappeared inside, Percy and the other first years following quickly behind. Hermione whispered to Neville.

"Did you see him leave? I swear he was just beside me!"

"No I was too busy being pelted with sticks," he said annoyed.

Inside, the common room was warmly decorated with red and gold accents everywhere. There were a couple desks set up where homework could be done or games could be played. The centrepiece of the room was a beautiful fireplace with couches and love-seats laid out in a semicircle around it. Hermione saw, somewhat annoyed that Harry had already claimed an armchair by the fire.

"Well, right then," said Percy leading them further in. "Through these doors is the girls dorms. And through this door is the boys dorms. Boys are not allowed in the girls dorms and vice versa understand? Right then well, I suggest you all get to bed. Classes start tomorrow at 8:30."

The first years boys and girls separated and went to their dormitories. Hermione trudged up the stairs with four other girls. It led them to a room with five poster beds all laid out pristinely. Beside each bed was each girls trunk. They glanced at each other before making there way to their corresponding beds. Hermione sank into her bed. As she lay there she thought about how her first day at Hogwarts met. She had been insulted, but made a friend. At least she thought Neville was a friend. She had ridden a train to a castle in the Scottish hillside. And on said train she had met Harry Potter. He was smart. He was bold. But behind his green eyes she was sure he was hiding something. For how could he have found his way to the Gryffindor Common room so fast? Or have known how they would be sorted? And the way he talked about his parents, she was sure something was fishy there. She determined herself to find out whatever it might be that Harry was keeping secret. And with that thought, she drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - First Impressions

She strode briskly down the cool stone passageway, cloaked in her favourite black cloak. This early in the morning, most of the students still slept. Hogwarts, formidable castle that it may appear, was a very tranquil place at the moment, the only sound being her own sharp steps against the stone floor. The sun was just barely peaking over the forest and a mist was slowly lifting over the grounds. She stopped at a window to watch the sunrise. It was the first time she had been able to do so in two months. While her countryside property was comfortable, it didn't offer views like Hogwarts did.

Yes, she thought, it was good to be back. The moment was broken when she heard faint footsteps making their way closer. She turned to face the incoming figure, and inclined her head. The figure made his way over and greeted her.

"Good morning, Minerva."

"Good morning Albus."

"Ready for another year?" he asked benevolently.

"I was ready. Then Harry Potter happened."

"Ah yes. He is… confident, is he not."

"I'll say he is. Albus, just what happened at the sorting?" she peered into his eyes.

He sighed and then crossed his arms and rested them on the window ledge.

"Minerva, I've been asking myself that very same question. There is only one thing I can think of, but it is very obvious."

"Well?"

"I believe that the Sorting Hat saw something… more in Harry Potter's mind, than it should have seen."

"Something like what?" she said eyes widening slightly.

"I cannot say. I do however believe that it is the reason for Harry's manner. Did you notice how he interacted with his fellow peers?"

"Interacted with them? What on earth do you mean?"

"It was very slight, however, if I had to put it in simple terms.. he talks to them almost as if they are children… and that he isn't one. Like a child-sitter would talk the one they are looking after. They give their full attention, and let the child say what they will and occasionally impart wisdom when needed. Harry seems to do this. Not always, but most of the time.

"That's quite the observation from someone that was sitting next to me at dinner, 50 feet away from Mr. Potter. Tell me Albus, you wouldn't have happened to have cast a listening charm on the Gryffindor table during dinner did you?" she asked, mouth drawing thin in mock annoyance.

"Oh but my good Minerva, the kids have such interesting conversations, and the tales they tell of their summers are just so engaging."

If Minerva were slightly less lady-like she would been rolling her eyes.

"I wonder if this is because of the Dursley's," she said, "Perhaps making him grow up to fast."

"It's possible," he offered. "However I don't think the sorting hat would have reacted like that just because of a…tougher upbringing, if that is the reason for it at all. Many students would have had a longer sorting if that were the case. Our colleague, Severus for example. Anyway, I am on my way to break my fast. Care to join me?"

She sighed. "Yes Albus, I will join you for _breakfast."_

And with that they continued on there way, never noticing the youth with green eyes standing in shadow in one of the many nooks that Hogwarts offered.

—

"So that was interesting." Harry said. He watched his Professor's disappear around a corner and stepped out of the shadow.

 _"_ _Maybe, although I wouldn't say it's unexpected."_

It had been luck that he had heard that conversation at all. He had woken up early and had decided to go for a walk around the castle. He had nearly stumbled into McGonagall, but had ducked into hiding just in time, not sure if he was breaking curfew being up so early.

"Do you think I should start acting like the other children? Throw them off?"

 _"_ _If you want to. Although I get the feeling Dumbledore would see through you."_

"Yeah I guess he would. Now I believe you were showing me a passage way somewhere through here…"

—

Hermione sat down for lunch, setting her books on the table in front of her. It was Friday, and they only had one more class for the week. It would be their first potions class and it would be a double period. She enjoyed her classes for the most part, taking a liking to Charms and Transfiguration. Potions though would be something entirely different from all their other subjects, she was sure. She was looking forward to it, although she had heard bad things about the professor of the subject and it was enough to make her a little nervous. She hoped she knew enough to impress her teacher.

Speaking of impressions…

Harry Potter strolled into the Great Hall, Ron in tow. They seemed to be becoming good friends. That or Harry was nice enough to let Ron hang around with him. That aside, Harry had managed to impress all of their teachers without breaking a sweat. Perhaps most impressive had been that first Transfiguration class.

(Flashback)

Hermione had just taken her seat in class. It was a Ravenclaw/Gryffindor mix and almost everyone had arrived. The first week of school, no one wanted to be late. She pulled out her books and placed her wand on her desk. She looked around, on the walls there were posters of items half-transfigured. There was a bookshelf on the side of the wall underneath a window that gave a view to the outside. At the front of the class was an old fashioned, but beautifully hand crafted mahogany desk. Sitting rather primly on top of the desk was an orange tabby cat.

 _"_ _Odd,"_ she thought, _"McGonagall must use a cat to demonstrate transfiguration.."_

She looked around but Professor McGonagall hadn't seemed to have arrived yet. It looked like everyone had arrived, except… yup, Harry was no where in sight. She asked Ron where he was, but he just gave her a helpless shrug.

"He said, he was going to take another way…"

The start of class bell rang. The class quieted, but there was still no Harry. And still no Professor.

Just then Harry rushed in, hair windswept, cheeks tinted red. He made his way in and placed his things on an empty desk that Ron had saved for him. Hermione was annoyed to see that some of the girls were staring at him, Lavender in particular. Clearly some people couldn't get over the fact that Harry Potter was attending school with them. He gave his peers a winning smile before turning towards the desk and peering down at the cat.

"Sorry I'm late Professor. Although I might say, if you stay like that the whole time, I'm not sure I will learn much."

Hermione looked around the room to make sure she wasn't the only one that was seeing Harry Potter talking to a cat. She wasn't. Her peers were looking at each other quizzically.

"Hey Harry," Seamus called out, grinning, "I believe that's pussycat you're talking to."

The class laughed, albeit a bit nervously. But Harry never stopped smiling. And then the cat stepped off the desk and transformed. And standing there in front of her desk was Professor McGonagall, clad in dark green robes. Her face was stern and she seemed to be slightly annoyed. The laughter immediately stopped and Seamus' jaw dropped.

"Woah." was all he said.

"Please take your seats," she said eyeing Harry.

Hermione and everyone else in the room was still reeling. Again, she thought, Harry seems to possess knowledge that the rest of us are just coming up to speed with. Professor McGonagall waited until total silence commanded the room before speaking.

"How did you know?" There was no asking who she was speaking to. It wasn't necessary.

He looked up at her with a bright grin. "Why Professor, I have never seen a cat sit so stiffly. So obviously, it had to be a Professor."

 _"_ _Total BS,"_ thought Hermione _, "He barley even glanced at the cat before calling it out."_

"Of course." If the dryness of McGonagall's answer was any indicator she obviously didn't believe him either. However she didn't press the issue any farther.

"Transfiguration, is a complex and dangerous and magic. Any fooling around in my class will result in a loss of house points and or a detention. Am I clear?"

A muttering of "yes Professor," answered back.

"Very well."

She then demonstrated magic, by turning her desk into a pig and back again. The class oohed and awed. They were disappointed, however that they wouldn't learn how to transfigure such large objects until later years. She then went around and handed out matchsticks for everyone to transfigure into needles.

Hermione concentrated on the task on hand. She brought her wand upon the matchstick, but was disappointed to see no change as of yet. She looked around to see the rest of her classmates attempting the change to no effect. Well all except Harry. His matchstick lay on the desk ignored. Instead he was flipping through the Transfiguration textbook. Hermione was infuriated that he would so deliberately ignore a teacher's order and was about to call him out when she took a better look at his face. His eyes held a look of.. well the only thing she could compare it to was nostalgia. He had a slight look of awe on his face like he was reading an old yearbook. His lips seemed to be moving and she thought he was reading the text to himself, except he was flipping through the pages way too fast. Every few pages he would stop for a moment and his face would light up and a grin might creep onto his face.

"Perhaps, Mr. Potter you could tell us what is so fascinating about the transfiguration textbook, that you feel the need to ignore my instructions?

The class stopped and turned to a sheepishly grinning Harry.

"Er, sorry Professor, just haven't seen this book in ye- er, a while. Since I bought it I mean. It's so interesting."

McGonagall's eyes widened for a moment before they narrowed. "Yes it is interesting," she said. "However, you won't be able to achieve any of the more 'interesting' transfigurations, if you don't complete the first lesson." She said pointedly. And some students laughed

"Oh right." he said. Suddenly in the blink of an eye, his wand was in hand (where did that come from?) and he casually flicked it toward the matchstick, which instantly became a needle, and his wand disappeared from hand (where did it go?!). He picked the book back up and kept reading. He stopped when he noticed everyone staring at him.

"Um Professor?"

Professor McGonagall seemed to be in shock, before coming to herself. She strode over and grabbed the needle off the desk to see it in better light."

"Unbelievable," she said. "A perfect attempt and on a first try. In all my years, I have never seen anyone do this, this well."

"Does this mean I can keep reading?" he asked hopefully.

She looked down at him with what might have been a rare smile.

"Sorry Mr. Potter, but transfiguring one matchstick into a needle, does not mean you are an expert. If you want to truly succeed at this class you will need to be able to do it every time. I'll tell you what, if you can turn ten matchsticks into needles, perfectly, I will let you continue your reading."

He grinned, "But Professor, I changed everybody's matchstick into a needle."

"What!?"

Suddenly all the students stopped looking at Harry to look at their own desks, where sitting innocently, were perfect needles.

 _"_ _You've got to be kidding me."_

 _(End Flashback)_

After that first Transfiguration class Hermione decided that she would no longer be surprised by Harry Potter. The idea of being in awe of another student's magical prowess was a strange feeling to her. In primary school she was used to being top of the class, the one with all the answers. Of course, in primary school she was made fun of a lot and was rather hoping that the students would be different here.

Harry and Ron strode over to the Gryffindor table and grabbed seats on the opposite side of where she was sitting a few seats down. The tables were loaded with food and they both helped themselves to lunch.

"How did you do it?" she blurted out rather loudly and reddened a little as she received looks from not only Harry and Ron but much of the Gryffindor table.

Harry smiled and motioned to his mouth as he finished chewing a sandwich.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean?"

"The needles," she hissed. Hermione grabbed her book bag and moved down to be across from him. "I've read through the entire first year transfiguration book…"

"I'll bet you have," muttered Ron, though he shut up when he got a hard stare from Harry. He looked back at her.

"Yes, and?" he motioned her to continue.

"Well I've looked through the book, but no where in it does it even mention transfiguring multiple items at a time. And yet you go off and just change all the matchsticks into needles at once."

He nodded "Well yes I suppose that is possible. Of course there is another possibility as well."

"There is?" she asked getting confused.

"Yes, that I simply changed all the matchsticks one at a time in rapid succession, so fast that it would seem like they were all changed at once."

"Is that what you did?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course not, why do separately what I can do at once." he grinned and she scowled at being led on.

"Alright you did them all at once but how? And where did you even _learn_ to do that?"

"Learn?" he asked taken aback. "Why would you have to learn that?"

"Well," she sputtered, "how else would you know how to do it, without learning it first?

"Hermione," he said slowly as if he was talking to a small child, "You have things backwards. You think that you are here to learn what you can do with magic. You don't realize that you are here to learn that there is nothing that you _can't_ do. With practice," and suddenly a cinnamon bun flew toward him and he caught it out of the air without even turning his gaze from her, "you can do anything you want."

He leaned back and took a big bite out of the flying treat he snagged. Hermione wasn't even sure if he had some how summoned it, or someone else had thrown it across the table. If it was the former, he had just brazenly displayed wand-less magic. It it was the latter he had the reflexes of a hawk. Either situation was impressive.

 _"_ _Showing off now?"_

 _"_ _Oh leave him be Lils, he makes a good point."_

Hermione thought about what he had said. "So you mean to say, that everything I want to do with magic I should already be able to do?"

Before he could answer, she suddenly, reached down into her bag. She sat back up, wand in one hand and set her matchstick down on the table. She nervously glanced up at Harry who tilted his head to the side with slight interest. She looked back down to her needle and then concentrated. She closed her eyes and willed her matchstick to change into a needle. She opened them, to find her matchstick staring back at her.

"Urrgh," she groaned.

Harry looked at her sympathetically, "Like I said…With practice"

"Oh?" she said. "And when would you have been practicing something like that?" she shot back, still a little irked at her matchstick's difficulty to co-operate.

Harry paused for a moment before answering with a smile, "Why Hermione…a good magician never gives away his secrets."

And with a wink he started loading up his plate and tucked in.

"Hmmph." was all she replied with.

Just then the warning bell went off. Students finished their eating and started gathering up their books and bags and making there way out of the great hall. Hermione gathered up her books as well. She noticed Harry was actually loading up his plate with another sandwich.

"You do know that there is only 5 minute to get to class right?" she warned.

"Not to worry sunshine, I'll be there right after this sandwich."

She narrowed her eyes, "I do hope so, other-wise Gryffindor could lose points because of you."

"Like I said, I'll be there," he said unconcerned taking a slow bite out of a turkey on white.

"You better." she warned before looking at Ron. "Well are you coming, Or are you also going to be late for Professor Snape's class?"

Ron looked torn between wanting to stay for another sandwich himself and making class on time. In the end the thought of being late for a class taught by the most horrible of teachers (or so his brothers told him) made him a lot less hungry.

"Yeah, I'm going," he mumbled. "See you in class Harry."

And with that they set off out of the hall. By that time a minute had passed since the warning bell and Harry was one of the few students left in the Great Hall and definitely the youngest by a few years.

 _"_ _So…we do have a shortcut to get to potions right?"_

 _"_ _You bet your a…."_

 _"James!"_

 _"_ _I mean, yeah we got shortcut."_ James said sheepishly

 _"_ _Alright lets do this."_

And with that he grabbed his bag and started off in the opposite direction off the students to a back door of the Great Hall.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - The Most Evil of Teacher's

With 10 seconds to the bell Harry strolled into potions. He was the last of his housemates to arrive.

 _"_ _So…Gryffindors on one side, and Slytherin on the other. Has it always been like this?"_

 _"_ _In our day, I think we sat further apart."_ said James.

 _"_ _Of course."_

Harry strode purposely to the centre of the room, tossed his book bag on an empty desk between a Parvati and a Slytherin girl who had dark hair and a pale face. No sooner had he sat down than the classroom door swung open and hit the wall with a bang. Professor Snape strode briskly into his classroom with his robes billowing behind him. The room immediately quieted.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic." he began in a low voice. "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through the human veins, bewitching the minds, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Hermione looked eager to prove she wasn't a dunderhead, Harry noted.

 _"_ _Well he sure is cheery."_

 _"_ _He sounds just like he did a dozen years ago"_ Lily said.

Professor Snape then began roll call. That was how Harry discovered Parvati's last name was Patil and that Pansy was to his right. He paused when he got to Harry's name.

"Ah, Harry Potter our new…celebrity." Some Slytherin's tittered. Harry narrowed his eyes.

 _"_ _He wants to play like that does he?"_

 _"_ _Harry I forbid you from doing anything foolish." his mom said firmly._

"Present… sir." Harry replied coldly, using the same tone for the word sir, as Snape used for celebrity.

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes just slightly before continuing roll call.

"Potter!" Snape called out suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry looked taken aback. A quick glance told him that neither Parvati nor Pansy knew the answer. Hermione however had shot her hand into the air.

 _"_ _Little help here?"_ he called into his mind.

"If you don't know the answer, Potter, the appropriate thing to do would be say, "I don't know, Professor. Let's try something else. Where would you look if I told you to look for a bezoar?"

Hermione's hand lifted higher into the air. Some Slytherin's were laughing at him, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle in particular.

"I don't know Professor."

"Tut, tut, clearly fame isn't everything. Tell me Potter what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Hermione was now almost out of her seat with her arm outstretched high.

"I don't-," but then Harry stopped speaking. He suddenly seemed to be staring off into space. His eyes shut briefly.

"Potter-," Snape began. But then Harry's eyes snapped open and were entirely focused on the professor.

"Adding the powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood will create a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the draught of living death. A bezoar can be found in the stomach of a goat and will save you from most poisons. Monkshood and Wolfsbane are the same plant, which also goes by the name of Aconite. But shouldn't you know this? You are the potions master after all."

The class suddenly went dead quiet and Harry heard a couple muffled gasps.

Professor Snape was so taken aback by his reply that he was silent for a moment.

"That is correct," he said tersely. And was quiet for another moment. "Well? Why aren't you all writing this down?" he said.

There was a flurry for activity as students reached for quills and parchment to write on.

"And 10 points from Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter."

Harry shrugged off the point loss. His father had had lost loads of points as a troublemaker, ten was no big deal. Professor Snape then divided them into pairs to make a boil cure potion. Harry ended up being paired with Parvati. They turned to face each other.

"Hi."

"Hi"

"Harry." he smiled, extending his hand

"Parvati." she answered and shook his hand. While she was of obvious Indian descent, you couldn't tell from her voice. She spoke clearly and boldly.

"Well.. one of us can get ingredients while the other one sets up the cauldron," Harry offered.

"Ok." She looked to the board, where the list of ingredients were.

"Maybe I can set up the cauldron?" she asked.

"Not a fan of slugs?" Harry grinned.

"Urrgh, definitely not." she shuddered.

"No problem. I'll grab them. And everything else."

"Thanks," she said gratefully.

 _"_ _Such a ladies man."_

 _"_ _Stuff it, dad."_

While the students started their potions, Professor Snape slowly paced around the classroom, breathing down the students necks. He seemed to be especially critical of the Gryffindor students work. The Slytherin's he gave small amounts of praise. However his favourite student seemed to be Malfoy.

"Class look at the way, Mr. Malfoy has perfectly chopped up his horned slugs." was one of the things Professor Snape praised him on.

Harry rolled his eyes and glanced around the room. Ron was paired with Dean, Hermione with some blond girl, Neville was with Seamus, Pansy with…

 _"_ _HARRY! Get Neville away from that potion!"_

Harry looked up just as Neville had just finished dropping some porcupine quills into his potion while the fire was _still on._ Without a moment to lose, Harry sprinted across the room and tackled Neville to the floor. A second later the potion melted through the cauldron and flooded the floor right where Neville had been standing a second earlier. Students shrieked and climbed onto their chairs as the potion flooded half the room and ate at people's shoes.

"Gah!" cried out Harry. He was still on the floor when the potion collapsed and the potion had reached him before he was able to get up. It ate at his hands and knees.

"Idiot boy!" Snape accosted Neville, who because of Harry's NFL worthy tackle, had been far enough away from the potion to not get burned by it. With a wave of his wand he vanished the contents of it from the dungeon floor.

"I suppose you forgot to take the cauldron _off_ the fire before adding the porcupine quills?"

Snape glanced at Potter then turned back to Neville. "Take him to the hospital wing." he spat out, obviously referring to Harry.

As they walked out, Harry called out to a wide-eyed Parvati.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it. Don't forget to take the cauldron off the fire before adding the porcupine quills," he added with a wink.

She looked at him incredulously. "I don't think I could forget now," she said with disbelief.

Harry grinned back at her and he and Neville walked out.

"I'm sorry Harry, it's all my fault. I'm such a squib sometimes." Neville was quite downcast.

Harry put an arm around him. "You're not a squib Neville. You just made a mistake, it happens to everyone.

"Yeah but they usually happen to me," he said gloomily. "You practically saved my life back there. I'm just no good at magic. Sometimes I wonder how I got into Hogwarts at all."

Harry stopped them and looked Neville in the eye.

"Look Neville. There are two types of people in this world. Do you know what they are?"

Neville thought for a moment. "Muggles and Wizards?" he asked.

"That is true, although it isn't what I was thinking of. The first type of people are the type of people that have everything come to them easily. Anything they want to learn or do, they hardly need to work at.

"The second kind are the people who do not find things they want to learn easy. They have to work much harder at what they want to do than others will.

"Ok," said Neville. "but what does this have to do with me being lousy at magic."

"Everything," said Harry. "You see, Neville when it comes to magic the second person will have to work harder to be as good as the first person. However as the years go by the course material will get harder. One day the first person will realize that they cannot easily do the magic like they once did. They too will have to study to keep up. However the second person will have been used to having to work hard. And this is where the second person will overtake the first person. For in the long run, only hard work can get you where you want to go."

Neville stood there and took in what Harry said and they continued walking.

"So… you're saying that I will need to work harder than the other students, and then one day, I'll be at least as good as they are?"

"Maybe even better." Harry smiled.

"Well I doubt I could ever be as good as you are." he said.

"You never know Neville. You never know."

They came upon the hospital wing doors. "Well it seems we've arrived. Thanks for the escort, Neville, you can head back now."

"Ok Harry." he turned to leave, "Oh and Harry, thanks for saving my life."

"Anytime Neville." he grinned and walked into the hospital wing.

—

Parvati was feeling a slight bit of frustration. Her potion, which was supposed to be turning red had deviated off course and had gone violet. It made her want to pull her hair out. They only had 5 minutes before Snape started collecting their potions.

"Try waving your wand like this," said a voice from behind her. Startled, she turned to look into a pair of green eyes.

"Harry!" she nearly shouted, but managed to turn it into a loud whisper. "Are you alright?" His hands were bandaged, but he still managed to hold his wand casually. He was waving it in a slow circular manner over the potion. Miraculously, it started turning a nice shade of red.

"I'm well, thanks for asking." he said.

"How did you do that?" she asked impressed.

"Colour changing charm," he replied seriously.

"What? Really? I thought the potion was supposed to turn red without any sort of charm." she stopped when she saw the mirth in his eyes. "You're having me on aren't you?!"

He chuckled. "Guilty as charged. Here," he said. "Hold your wand over top of the cauldron like this." He indicated with his own hand. She matched the position with hers. He then placed his hand overtop of hers. "Now you just move your hand in a circle, clock-wise, at about this speed." He moved their hands together around the cauldron at a steady speed. The potion started to turn a nice red. So did Parvati. She looked up at him.

 _'_ _His eyes are so green,'_ she thought. At that moment Harry turned to her as if to say something but stopped when he saw her staring at him. They immediately looked away from each other blushing.

"Time's up!" called out Professor Snape. "If you managed to have brewed something that resembles this," he held up a perfectly brewed boil cure potion, "then bottle it, tag it and put it on my desk. Otherwise, don't bother."

Harry and Parvati quickly got to work, bottling their potion and labeling it. When they brought it up to Snape's desk they could see the class had varied success. Ron and Seamus' potion was such a dark red it could be mistaken for black. Pansy and her partner's was only slightly better being a mixture of violet, red and brown. Some, like Hermione's had done well, hers was a rich red though slightly darker than what Professor Snape's was. Professor Snape ignored her's though, in favour of Draco's, which was a reddish-orange colour.

"Ah, well done Mr. Malfoy. You obviously show an aptitude for potions."

Then Harry set his potion on the desk. For good effect he put it right down beside the sample Snape had shown. The two were practically identical. Snape stared at it, as though it's existence offended him

"What about me Professor?" he asked cheekily. "Do I show an aptitude for potions?"

A couple of the Gryffindor's looked like they were holding back laughter. Even Pansy looked like she was fighting a smile. A Slytherin at that!

Professor Snape spoke as though the words physically pained him.

"You seem to show some…ability." He gritted out.

"Wonderful." Harry replied, and made his way back to his seat.

The bell rang and suddenly students were packing up their book bags as fast they could and putting their potions ingredients away.

"Well it was fun working with you Parvati," said Harry. "See you around."

"Thanks Harry. See you around."

—

It was next week when the flyer was pinned up to the notice board in the Gryffindor Common room. It said, that Flying Lessons would be taking place that Thursday at 3:30, with the Slytherins. Ron was rather put out that they would be taking lessons with Slytherin. Harry found he didn't mind.

As the day drew closer to the flying lessons, the talk turned to who had been on a broom, who was likely to play for a house team and Quidditch. Malfoy was boasting about how he had narrowly missed muggle helicopters on a broom and Ron would tell anyone who was listening how he had nearly hit a hang glider or two. Harry would have bet his vault though that neither of them had been farther than a hundred feet above the ground, much less thousands.

Many students seemed to be nervous about flying. None more so though than Hermione who was annoying students by reading them all flying tips from a book called 'Quidditch through the Ages." Flying wasn't something you could learn from a book and this was causing her much stress.

Finally the day arrived and the students made their way outside to a large section of flat grass. Neatly lying on the ground in two rows opposite each other was the school broomsticks.

"Everyone find a broomstick and stand beside it." Madam Hooch the flying instructor was already outside and waiting for them. The Gryffindors headed for the brooms on one side and the Slytherins the other.

"Very good, now everyone hold your hand above your broom and say, up."

"UP."

Harry's broom shot to his hand, but it was one of the few that did. Some brooms rose half heartedly and some not at all. Neville's broom rolled over. Hermione's didn't twitch.

"If your broom hasn't risen to your hand yet, repeat saying up until it does." Madam Hooch said.

Cries of up, echoed around the lawn. Hermione's broom was slowly making it's way to her hand now, though Harry thought she might explode with impatience before it did. He wondered if brooms could obey other verbal commands.

"Down." The broom shot to the ground. "Up." It came back up again.

"Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Do-" he stopped when he realized everyone had stopped and was staring at him.

"What?"

"Well done Mr. Potter," exclaimed Madam Hooch. "Now please be patient while the other students get acquainted. Not all of us have been on a broom before." She turned back to help the remaining students.

 _"_ _Wait. She thinks…We.. I mean I…I've never been on a broom before!"_

 _"_ _Gee I wonder why she thinks that." James voice came in amused._

 _"_ _Well done Harry, not even James could pull that off in his first lesson." said his mum._

 _"_ _Maybe I could have…if I thought of it."_

 _"_ _Well, you were quite a natural on a broomstick…"_

Hermione had just gotten her broomstick to her hand.

"Finally." she muttered. She looked to Harry, half expecting him to be watching her with that amused smile of him, followed with some advice that he always seemed to have. Her eyes narrowed, when she realized that not only was he not watching her, he wasn't watching well..anything. He seemed to be staring into a place a thousand miles away. His face was blank and he didn't seem to be reacting to his classmates.

"Now that everyone's got their brooms you can mount them, like so," she said and demonstrated by mounting an old Cleansweep broomstick herself. Hermione threw a leg over her broom and so did everyone else…except Harry. Madam Hooch began working her way down the Gryffindor line of students correcting students hand grip and making sure they were seated properly.

"Harry." Hermione whispered. He was next to her but didn't seem to hear her.

"Harry!" she whispered again, though sharper and louder. He blinked and and seemed to come to. He turned to her and then seemed to notice that he was the only one not on a broom.

"Right, sorry." he muttered and threw a leg over his broom.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, just kind of..spaced out, I guess." he smiled at her and turned away.

 _"_ _Something is definitely up with him."_ she thought.

Madam Hooch, who had so far corrected everybody on their broomstick posture, stopped when she got to Harry.

"Perfect grip, Mr. Potter. Ms. Granger straighten your back a little more.. that's it" and she moved down the line.

"Is there anything you don't know how to do?" Hermione asked, half amused, half annoyed.

He paused for a moment as if he was actually considering an answer, then looked back at her.

"I've never learned how to play the banjo." he said seriously.

She looked at him in disbelief. "Anything else?" she asked, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"Not that I know of."

Madam Hooch had finished checking everyone's broom. "Alright, now when I count to three I want you to push off the ground and hover. Then point the broom down and touch down again. Alright? One, Two… I said when I get to Three!"

Neville it seemed, had been worried about being left behind and had pushed off earlier and a little too hard. His broom went soaring into the air and was doing very good impression of a balloon that had a leak.

"Come back down!" shouted Madam Hooch. It was obvious though that Neville was holding on for dear life. The broom went spinning side to side and then he got too close to the castle and started smacking against the brick.

Harry could see Neville's grip was starting to loosen and any second now he would fall. Without realizing what he was doing, he kicked off from the ground and took off towards Neville.

"Mr. Potter-" was all he heard before he was out of earshot. It was then that Neville slipped off his broom at fifty feet up. Harry's eyes widened before narrowing in concentration and he leaned forward urging the broom even faster and aimed it down to where Neville would land. He was closing in on his friend, but so was the ground. He leaned forward and reached out a hand, turning the broom so that he was flying at a ninety degree angle. Mere feet from the ground he grabbed a hold of Neville's midsection and spun so that he was underneath Neville facing up. That is how they crashed into the ground, with Harry taking the brunt of the fall and shielding Neville with his body. Harry paused to let what he did catch up with him and then let his head fall back on to the ground and took a breath. _"Made it."_ he thought.

"Everyone stand back!" he heard a shrill voice say. Madam Hooch came running over terrified. "Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter, are you alright?!"

Neville rolled off of Harry and slowly started to stand. He looked dazed.

"I'm ok." he mumbled, shaken. "What happened?" He looked back down to see Harry laying on the ground, eyes closed.

"OH Merlin. Oh no, Harry! Please be ok. Harry? Harry?! Oh no I've killed him." Neville was panicking.

"I'm not dead." Harry opened his eyes and slowly stood up, first on one foot, then on the other. "See?"

"Oh thank Merlin." Neville breathed a sigh of relief.

Harry looked down at his uniform. His robes, hair and face were covered in dirt and grass.

"Well this robe is toast." he muttered. "That's two robes in two weeks."

 _"_ _At this rate we'll be going to Madam Malkin's once a month,"_ James chuckled.

"Mr. Potter are you alright?" Madam Hooch asked again.

"Yeah I'm good."

"Would you like to sit out for a moment?" she asked both of them, "You can rejoin the group when you feel ready?" she offered.

"Umm I could sit out," said Neville. He still looked shaken up.

"You can join us whenever you are ready Mr. Longbottom. Mr. Potter?"

"I'll join the others," said Harry. "Make sure sure nobody else needs saving," he joked, although with Neville's new death experience it fell a little flat.

"If you are sure. Oh and take 30 points to Gryffindor, for quick thinking and putting another student's safety before your own," she added with a smile.

"Thank you Professor." he said, humbled.

Madam Hooch walked briskly back to the students that were gathered only feet behind her and she directed them back to the training area.

"You alright, Neville?" Harry asked.

He nodded. "I was terrified. I don't think I want to go near another broom in my life."

"I don't blame you," said Harry. "But maybe you should give it another shot. You don't want Malfoy to think you're scared right?" Neville eyes darkened at that and he looked determined.

"Exactly. Shall we go back?"

He nodded. "Good." And they made their way across the lawn.

The other students had started hovering and moving forward a little bit. Madam Hooch saw them coming.

"Back so soon?"

"We are ready to go again Professor."

"Then pick up your brooms and mount them when ready." she said.

Harry and Neville nodded and walked to their brooms. _"Madam Hooch must have brought them back."_ Harry thought.

Neville took a deep breath before, climbing onto his, and Harry did the same.

"Now," Harry said. "I want you to think about what happened last time. What do you think went wrong?"

"I'm not really sure." he answered. "I was actually worried I was going to be left behind when we kicked off and I was really nervous and well.. yeah."

"Remember Neville, you are the wizard. The broom is just a broom. It may be a magical object but you decide where it goes and where it doesn't go. Understand? You are the master of this broom."

"Ok" Neville said, a little unsure of Harry's way of looking at it.

"Good. Now kick off the ground and go where you _want_ to go."

Slowly Neville pushed himself off the ground and he was hovering in the air.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. He started to move forward. "Hey I'm doing it!" And a grin cracked open on his face.

For a short while that afternoon Harry worked with Neville until he was sure he was comfortable on his own. Some of the students were clearly comfortable on their brooms and had started a game of tag. Harry ignored those and went around to help some of those that seemed to be struggling.

"How's it going Hermione?"

Harry had flown down in front of her (she was only 5 feet off the ground) and was looking quite comfortable. He wasn't even bothering to hold onto the broom with his hands and was letting them sit on his knees.

"I'm- I'm just fine." she answered a little shakily. If Harry had less moral fibre he might have laughed. Hermione was lying prone on the broom and her knuckles were white. As it is he merely smiled. "Would you like a hand?"

She paused, her pride not wanting her to accept help, but her determination to excel at all of her school subjects, even non-academic ones, making her want to accept.

"Yes." she whispered quietly.

Harry tried the same techniques that he used to help others, but it didn't seem to be working with Hermione. Her fear of flying was holding her back. He needed something to distract her.

"So, Hermione, how do you like Hogwarts so far?"

"It's brilliant." she said shakily. "Finding out I was a witch was the best day of my life. It finally explained what was happening around me." And she smiled.

"What was happening around you?" he asked puzzled.

"Oh you know," she prodded as though it was obvious. "The accidental magic? One time when I was little, I was reading a book at night. My mom took the book away from me because I was supposed to go to sleep. But I was almost finished and I really wanted to finished that book. When she left the room I was really wanting that book and it just.. flew back to me. All the way from my parents room." She looked a little sheepish.

"Wow." said Harry.

"What about you?" she asked, "What accidental magic did Harry Potter do when he was younger?"

"Uhh none." he said looking a little lost.

"…what do you mean none?" she asked in disbelief. "Are you telling me you never did magic before coming to Hogwarts?"

"Oh no, I definitely did magic before Hogwarts," he replied. "It just…"

"What?"

"Well it wasn't accidental." he muttered.

Her eyes widened at the implications of what he just said.

"What do you mean it wasn't accidental?" she hissed.

Harry was saved from answering however, from a whistle from Madam Hooch.

"Alright everyone, lessons are over now, please put your brooms back on the ground where they were and make your way back to your dormitories. Come now, no dilly-dallying."

"Hey look Hermione, you're flying a lot smoother now."

"What?" she looked down to see she was a lot higher than she had been before and she was no longer clutching the broom like a life line. "Wow, I am."

"Last one down is a rotten egg," he teased. And he began flying backwards away from her towards the ground.

 _"_ _Showoff,"_ she thought, but started racing after him just the same.

They touched down at nearly the same time (Harry obviously wasn't going near full speed) and put the brooms back on the ground.

She was about to ask him what he meant about doing magic that wasn't accidental, but was interrupted by Ron.

"Harry that was brilliant wasn't it? You should have joined us for that game of Chaser."

"Maybe next time Ron," Harry said walking up to the castle. Many students were giving him a nod and being quite friendly with him.

"Hey Harry."

"Thanks for the advice, Harry"

"Harry mate, couldn't have flown like that without you!"

He was even slightly liked in Slytherin and that was hard to do.

"Potter." a voice called out from Slytherin. He turned to see two of the girls walking to him.

He stopped, as did a few of his Gryffindor friends. Hermione stopped and waited too.

"Yes, Ms. Greengrass?" he asked pleasantly. "Hello Ms. Davis. And you may call me Harry."

They seemed surprised that he knew their names.

"Then you may call me Daphne." the blond hair girl said.

"And call me Tracey." said the brunette.

"Well then Daphne and Tracey. What can I do for you?"

"I just want to thank you for your help on the broomstick," Daphne, and Tracey nodded.

"Tracey has been trying to help me forever with no success, but five minutes with you and I'm flying like a natural."

"Your welcome," he said. "I'm glad I was able to help."

"If you want," Daphne said, "I would like to help you in a subject," she offered.

"Hmm alright. How does Potions sound?"

She stared at him. "What on earth would you need help in potions for?" she said bewildered.

"Does that mean you won't help me?" he said, looking down.

"Oh no, of course not!" she backtracked. "I just thought..nevermind, Harry I would be happy to help with potions."

"Splendid. We can pair up next class then?" he asked with a smile

"Absolutely." she smiled back. "Well.. we got to get back to our common room. Bye Harry."

"See you later."

They split off their separate ways and Hermione was left probably feeling as confused as Daphne was. If anything Harry would be teaching Daphne in potions rather than the other way around. _"But then,"_ she thought, _"Maybe that's what he wanted. But why would he?"_ She decided that she was going keep an eye on Harry Potter from now on. She just had this feeling, that there was something more to him than met the eye. And she would find out what.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Talk of the Staff

It was the morning in the third week of classes and students were in the Great Hall eating breakfast. Harry, Neville and Ron had become friends and were sitting together. Neville was showing his friends the gift his grandmother had sent him.

"It's a Remembrall. You just shake it," he demonstrated, "and if it turns red…oh dear."

The mist inside the glass orb he held in his hand become a dark red and swirled around angrily.

"Then…you know you've forgotten something.. shame it doesn't tell you what you forgot though," he said frowning.

"Did you remember to do the transfiguration homework?" Harry offered.

"No that's not it," he said, "did it last night…well some of it, but I haven't forgotten that."

Just then Malfoy and his thugs Crabbe and Goyle stopped by the Gryffindor table. Malfoy snatched the Remembrall out of Neville's hands.

"What's the matter, Longbottom? Forget which end of your wand to hold?" he smirked and Crab and Goyle guffawed.

"How come is it still red Malfoy?" Harry asked cooly. "Did you forget your manners? You're supposed to ask if you can have something before taking it, you know."

Malfoy reddened and shoved the Remembrall back into Neville's hands.

"Watch it Potter. Or I might forget that there's no duelling in the corridors."

Harry leaned back on the bench seat and regarded Malfoy, a small smirk making it's way onto his face. Malfoy didn't like the way Harry looked at him. It was entirely too calm.

"Why Malfoy, that almost sounds like a challenge. Have you finally managed to learn how to cast spells?" Neville chuckled, though uneasily. He was worried Harry might get himself into trouble or worse hurt.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed and he took the bait.

"You know what Potter? Let's go, me and you. Wizard's Duel tonight, midnight." He smirked.

Harry paused and seemed to think about it, the small smirk never leaving his face.

"Where?" he said simply.

"Trophy room. That's always unlocked. Do you agree?"

Harry's eyes seemed to drift out of focus. _"What do you think?"_

 _"_ _Absolutely not, Harry, the trouble you could-"_

 _"_ _Just make sure he isn't trying to set you up to be caught by Filch."_ his dad cut in.

 _"_ _Hmmph."_ his mom was not happy about this. _"You will regret this, mark my words."_

"I said do you agree," Malfoy was looking annoyed now.

"I do, but…you wont show up." Harry said so simply he could have been talking about the weather. Malfoy looked taken aback for a moment, before recovering.

"I will so!" though it didn't have much conviction behind it, and he seemed to know it, when Harry' smirk broke a little wider.

"Will you now?" Harry said and he looked down at his hands on table and began tapping a finger on it. "Cause my first instinct is that you're trying to get me set up to be caught by Filch."

"I'll be there." Malfoy insisted. "I swear it on my magic."

Harry stopped tapping and looked up at him.

"Alright. See you in-" he glanced up at the clock in the hall, "15 hours."

As Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle started walking away, Harry called out to him.

"Oh and Malfoy?"

Draco turned around, "What?"

"Learn some spells. I certainly won't be throwing sparks at you."

Draco's expression pursed his lips before turning around and walking away again.

"I can't believe you're going to duel Malfoy." Ron said beside him almost giddy with excitement.

"Excuse me." a bossy voice cut in and Harry groaned.

"I couldn't help but overhear you earlier-"

"I'll bet you couldn't" Ron muttered

"-and you mustn't go out after curfew. Think of all the points you could lose Gryffindor if you're caught."

 _"_ _I'm on her side."_ his mom said

Harry shrugged, "So I'll just save Neville again and win them back."

Neville blushed red and Ron nearly choked when he laughed while swallowing a sausage.

"That's not funny," she said.

"It's a little bit funny." Harry said taking a drink of orange juice.

"No it is not. If you're caught-"

"I won't be."

Hermione huffed. "Well if you are, don't say I didn't tell you so." And she left the table.

"She needs to lighten up." said Ron.

—

Severus Snape walked up the stone steps on the second floor corridor. His dark black robes swayed behind him. Some portraits called out a greeting to him, which he ignored. He disliked wasting his time listening to the rambling of some long dead witch or wizard, whom he had never met. He reached his destination at the same time as Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva

"Severus."

"After you."

"Thank you."

She walked primly into the staffroom and he followed. The room was located at a point near the centre of the castle. Torches adorned the walls as well as several portraits of former teacher's. There was a table set up along the side wall with juice, tea and coffee for the teachers to help themselves too. In the centre of the room were two tables placed end to end. Most of the seats were occupied with teachers and there was a light, easygoing atmosphere in the air.

It was Friday evening of the third week of classes, a time when Headmaster Dumbledore liked to converse with the Professor's and get an update on how the young witches and wizards of the current generation were coming along. Severus ignored the juice bar and instead conjured himself a glass of water. He took a seat near the head of the table. After so many years of staff meetings, all the professors had there own preferred seats and they slid into them with ease. Professor Dumbledore was already sitting at the head spot beside Severus.

"Severus." he greeted him.

"Albus."

"How fair the Slytherin's?"

"They are well, Albus."

"That's good to hear."

The last Professor to arrive, Sybil Trelawney, took her seat.

Albus cleared his throat and the table quieted.

"Now that we are here, we may begin. Now, how are our first year students settling in. Filius?"

A short wizard with a moustache and glasses spoke up in a squeaky sort of voice.

"No problems with my Ravenclaws. As is the usual, the newest batch of students is quite studious and attentive. They have thus far been well behaved, if a little competitive."

"Very good. Pomona?"

Attention turned to a short dumpy looking witch with dark curly hair.

"My Hufflepuffs are settling in nicely. Though they have only known each other for a few weeks, some fast friendships are forming. Ms. Bones and Ms. Abbott are inseparable, and Mr. Finch-Fletchy and Mr. MacMillan can be found in company." Some of the professors smiled.

"Ah yes, some of the most important things we learn at Hogwarts are not taught in the classroom. Friendship can teach us life skills we couldn't learn elsewhere." Professor Dumbledore beamed.

"Severus?"

"My Slytherin's are doing well." And then because Dumbledore was looking at him as if expecting more he added, "Young Mr. Malfoy is proving himself to be a leader and other first year students in Slytherin look to him for advice."

"That is good then. Leadership is something we should all strive to have. Especially as teachers. Minerva?"

"The Gryffindors are banding together well. They are fiercely protective of each other. Though I do worry about young Ms. Granger. Barring Mr. Potter, she might be the most brilliant student I've seen in awhile. However she doesn't seem to know how to share her intelligence with her fellow students…gently. It's causing some, well most of the first years to keep away from her."

"You mean she's bossy." Severus said bluntly.

"Severus." Dumbledore sent a warning look at Professor Snape.

"Is there not another student in Gryffindor who would be receptive to her… imparting of knowledge? I seem to remember four other girls sorted into Gryffindor?"

"Yes there are, however none of them seem to click with her. Ms. Granger is more driven in her classwork than the other girls are."

"You said Mr. Potter might be as brilliant as she is?" Professor Dumbledore asked with interest. If Professor McGonagall was surprised by the change of subject she didn't show it.

"Yes, I'm sure you have all heard what he did in his first class by now?"

They other professors nodded. Mr. Potter's stunt of changing every matchstick into a needle in his first class had become legend. Not that, Severus thought, it was something hard to do, but no first year should have been able to pull that off. He was still skeptical that it had happened, despite Minerva's insistence that it had.

"Well because Mr. Potter seems to have a grasp in on his magic that his fellow students can't hope to match, at least for now, I assumed his theory work would be beyond there's as well."

"It's not?" Dumbledore asked.

"Oh it is, it's beyond everyone's.. except Ms. Grangers. Although it's close. So while Harry might be the most gifted magically, I would say Ms. Granger has a slightly better grasp on theory."

"Do you think that Mr. Potter would be receptive to the way Ms. Granger…imparts knowledge?" Professor Dumbledore asked, choosing Minerva's words.

"He might." she said carefully. "Mr. Potter, has shown himself to be very tolerable. He might be able to listen to Ms. Granger's strong emphasis on homework and subject study without taking offence."

"Now we just need to give them a reason to spend time together. Do any Professor's have any group projects in the near future?" he asked.

A young clean shaven wizard who was wearing a purple turban spoke up, with a bad stutter.

"I-I might, have s-s-something."

"Yes Quirinus?"

"In a g-group, t-t-two students will p-p-present there findings on how a d-defensive spell of t-their choice, c-came to b-be."

"T-they will then d-d-demonstrate the s-spell in front of t-the c-class and t-turn in t-three feet of p-parchment on what t-they've l-learned.

"An excellent opportunity. Well then Quirinus, I'll leave it to you to pair Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger. This project is soon I take it?"

"Y-yes sir. It will be d-delivered in the next c-class. And be d-due two weeks from t-then.

"Well that takes care of that hopefully," Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Now how are the rest of our students settling in?"

—

"See you all tomorrow" Professor Dumbledore called jovially as the Hogwarts professor's left. They filed out and chatted amiably as they left heading to their respective quarters.

Professor Dumbledore turned around surprised to see Professor Snape still sitting at the staff table. He walked back to his spot and rested his hands on his chair.

"Severus?." he said. "Is everything alright? You've been quiet. It is most unlike you."

Severus glanced up at him and sighed.

"There's something not..normal, with that boy. You've noticed it have you not?" he finally said.

Dumbledore chewed on his lip.

"I take it you're talking about Mr. Potter?"

"Obviously. With the way the other professors went on about him, you would think he's Hogwarts only student."

Dumbledore pulled his chair back and took a seat, before taking his wand out and summoning two glasses and a bottle of Odgen's Finest from a simple looking wooden cabinet in the corner of the room. He poured them both a half glass and then tapped the glasses with his wand, chilling them instantly. They each took a small drink and then Dumbledore licked his lips appreciatively.

"Mr. Potter is the first known survivor of the killing curse." Dumbledore began and Snape started to cut in but Dumbledore held his hand up and Snape let him continue.

"No doubt other's have survived being hit with the same spell as he did, however I believe that is because the spell was cast improperly, not because of any feat of magic on the defending wizard's part. Lord Voldemort we both know, was well adept at using the killing curse. I do not believe he would have cast it improperly."

Severus nodded.

"When Mr. Potter became the first known survivor of the killing curse, we were so happy to have Lord Voldemort gone that we did not question how Mr. Potter might have survived something like that. Or," he added, "if there might be aftereffects."

"Of course even if we had sought to consult Mr. Potter on the issue, I do not think we would have gotten satisfactory answers. After all, at 15 months of age one does communicate quite so well." Severus snorted.

"And because the life he knows and remembers has all taken place after that fateful day, he would have no way to know if the event has changed him magically or mentally. For all he knows he has always been the way he is."

"And what do you think?" Severus asked.

Dumbledore leaned back into his chair thoughtfully. "I only have suspicions. Nothing concrete."

"And that is?"

"Harry Potter," Dumbledore started. "Is not so different than another wizard who came before him. His charisma and charm I have not seen since a wizard name Tom Riddle walked these halls."

"You mean Lord Voldemort."

"Yes. You see it do you not? He speaks with confidence and can make any one person feel like they have his complete attention. It doesn't matter who it is, be it teacher or student, Gryffindor or Slytherin.

"Yes I see it," Severus said. "But what conclusion are you drawing from that?"

"You have seen his scar have you not?"

"Yes," Severus said raising an eyebrow. Who hadn't? "So what?"

"That scar, being normal should have faded a long time ago. Being a curse scar however, it has not. While Mr. Potter may have escaped death some way, he did not escape being cursed."

"So then, you think Lord Voldemort did what? Pass on his character attributes to Potter?" with disbelief.

"I think he did that and more actually. If what the other professor's say about him is true then I wonder if Harry may have acquired some of Voldemort's magic."

Severus sucked in a breath. "You think the boy has some of _his_ magic inside of him?"

"Like I said, it's only a theory."

"But one you believe." Severus stated, and Dumbledore nodded.

"It would explain why the sorting hat was all in an uproar at his sorting." Severus mused.

"Yes I thought of that as well."

Snape and Dumbledore finished there whiskey glasses and set them down.

"Have you noticed how he…spaces out?" Snape asked.

Dumbledore shook his head. "What do you mean?"

"When we had our first potions class," Snape said, "I asked him some questions from the potions book. Three of them. He didn't know the answers. But then when I was about to speak the answers, he suddenly knew them. Like really knew as if he was reading them out of the textbook. But right before that happened he looked…like he wasn't really there at all. It was like he was somewhere else."

Dumbledore thought for a moment. "Maybe he was. If there really is a piece of Voldemort inside of him, he might need to delve inside his mind to gain information, Voldemort used to have."

Severus' eyes widened. "You think he has access to the greatest arsenal of lethal spells and dark magic that anyone could imagine?"

"It is possible."

"We're doomed."

"Such a bleak view Severus? He is still Harry, no matter what knowledge he may be privy to."

"But you said he has charisma and charm that Tom Riddle had."

"Yes.. however we cannot be sure how much of that is Harry's and how much is Voldemort's influence."

Severus thought for awhile. "It doesn't seem right though."

"Why's that?"

"Because actions speak louder than words. And while I've never met Voldemort as a student, he never struck me as the type to help others. Would the Dark Lord ever have saved a fellow student from an exploding boil-cure potion? Or save the same student from a near fatal fall. And in my class I'm almost sure he and Ms. Patil may have developed feelings for each other."

"Are they really? At such a young age?" Dumbledore was genuinely interested. "I take it you are referring to Parvati."

"Yes the Gryffindor one."

"If Harry is showing signs of affection towards others then we may not need to worry about the possibility that he has a wealth of information on hand."

"No," said Severus. "But his enemies might."

—

The first year Gryffindor sleeping quarters were shrouded in darkness. Soft snores and breathing was the only sound other than the occasional owl hooting in the distance. At half past eleven Harry sat up in bed to make sure his fellow Gryffindor's were asleep. He slipped on a robe and tiptoed to the door.

"Harry." Harry turned to see Ron sitting up in bed. "Good luck mate." and Ron flashed him a thumbs up symbol with a grin, which Harry returned.

He continued on and took the stairs down to the Gryffindor common room. The room was quiet and embers glowed softly in the fireplace. A serene calm filled Harry. Hogwarts wasn't any less of a magical place at night than in the daytime. Relaxed he starting walking to the entrance of the common room.

"I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry"

The shrill voice caught Harry by surprised and he jumped a foot in the air. A lamp flicked on and Hermione was standing there in a pink bathrobe.

"Sheesh Hermione, you nearly gave me heart failure. What are you doing up?" he whispered.

"Stopping you." She whispered. "Don't you care at all about the house points. You could lose all the points I got with McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

"Only if I'm caught, and I won't be." He pointed at his head. "I happen to know a few secret passageways around this castle." Harry walked out of the common room, Hermione angrily trailing him.

"You could still get caught." she argued.

"Yes, you're not the first person to say that."

She paused, "Who was the first person?"

He stopped walking. "Umm no one."

Her eyes narrowed at him and for some reason he felt a little uncomfortable.

"Just don't say I didn't warn you," she huffed. " I'm going back to-"

She cut off abruptly as she turned back to look at the portrait behind them, which was missing it's owner.

"The Fat Lady's gone! Now how am I going to get back in? This is all your fault!" she hissed at Harry.

"Woah, slow down. First of all her name is Ms. Elaine," Hermione's widened incredulously. She couldn't believe he would take offence at her calling the portrait what everyone else called her at a time like this. "Secondly, I hardly forced you to follow me out the door." Hermione seethed.

"Well what am I supposed to do now?"

Harry shrugged. "Why don't you come with me?" he offered. "We can walk the halls, share old war stories and you might learn a thing about combative magic."

"You say that like this is some sort of muggle field trip."

"Call it what you want. I find that you can learn more from doing what you're not supposed to be doing, that what you can learn from when you are doing what you should be. Wouldn't you?"

"No!" she hissed. "Not at all."

"Stay behind then." he started to walk off. "See you tomorrow."

He hadn't gotten father than the end of the corridor when hurried footsteps caught up with him and fell in step with him. They walked for a few steps.

"Just so you know, I am not going with you because I agree with what you're doing."

"Mmm-hmm."

"In fact if, no.. _when_ we're caught, I'll tell them exactly what happened. That you were sneaking out and I was trying to stop you."

"That's nice."

"You're infuriating you know that?"

"Yes dear."

"Arrgh."

"So eloquent."

Moonlight illuminated the halls through windows. There footsteps left louder echoes than Hermione would have liked. They crept down a set of stairs and made it right turn. Down a hallway. Then a left and a right. There path took them to a dead end.

"That's great, we've hit a dead end, Harry. Look we should go back now while we still-"

Then Harry tapped on three of the bricks and the stones on half the wall began shifting and turning before reshaping themselves into a passageway that was dimly lit by torches.

"-can." Hermione said her jaw dropping at the appearance of the tunnel.

"Or.. we could continue on." Harry said in a deadpan voice. He strode into the passage and Hermione stared at it in wonder before hurrying after him.

"How did you know that was a secret passage?" she asked curiously.

"Hogwarts has many secrets," he answered evasively.

"That's not an answer."

"Would you believe me if I said I discovered it with my raw ability to feel differences in the saturation of magic in the air?"

"No."

"Oh, well then….I discovered it with my raw ability to feel the differences in the saturation of magic in the air."

"Prat."

Harry chuckled. They came to the end of the passageway and Harry took a quick glance outside, before stepping out. Hermione followed him. She looked around in wonder. The ceiling of the room they were in was two floors high and it looked to be twice that in width and length. There were bookcases in rows on the floor, only instead of books they were filled with trophy's, medals and ribbons. More trophy's were on the walls and a few were deemed worthy enough to have their own pedestals. Moonlight sparkled in through the tall windows at the back of the room.

"Welcome to the Trophy room." he said. They walked further into the room.

"It's amazing." she said.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" he teased.

Hermione crossed her arms. "Not even slightly."

"The lady be crossed with me." he said.

"Hmmph."

"Now, where would Mr. Malfoy be?"

There was a clock on the wall which read out 11:50.

"We're early."

"He's probably not coming." Hermione said.

"Guess we'll just have to wait and find out." Harry said cheerfully and sat down with his back against a book shelf. Hermione sat across from him in awkward silence for a minute.

"So," Hermione began, "You could do magic before Hogwarts…and it wasn't accidental?"

Harry took a breath, "Yes. Since I was five. Or maybe I was six. Oh wait the voices in my head assure me I was six."

Hermione looked at him like he was crazy.

"The voices in your head?"

He grinned at her, but didn't answer the question.

"I was six years old. We, and by that I mean my relatives and I, were out shopping one weekend. My uncle had been promoted to director of the place where he works. Anyway to celebrate he took us out shopping. I was brought along, although not because he wanted me there, but because he had to bring me. Mrs Figg, my babysitter was sick that day."

"He didn't want to bring you? Why?"

"My uncle, doesn't really consider me part of the family." Harry said.

"That's awful!" she cried.

He shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better I like them less than they like me. Anyway Uncle Vernon was buying a pair of new shoes for Dudley, my cousin, even though he had just bought him a new pair a few weeks before. I was still wearing my shoes that Dudley had outgrown. And let's just say that Dudley was not kind to them."

"Anyway Dudley is off parading his new shoes around the store and the store keeper is going on about what a wonderful boy he is and wouldn't he like a lollipop. The store keeper then pulls out this big lolly from behind the counter and gives it Dudley. It was then that I suddenly remembered something that I had seen on the telly at home."

Harry started to grin and Hermione was looking at him curiously. "Did you ever see that cartoon where the character, don't remember who it is now, licks a frozen metal pole in the winter?"

"Oh yeah. Wait did you do what I think you did?" Her eyes widened

"Yup. Dudley took a big lick of his lolly, right in front of me mind you, when suddenly his tongue was stuck the treat. He starts yanking on the lolly trying to pull it off. But it won't come off. He start's screaming for his mom but of course without his tongue he can't from words properly. So all you hear is, "Nunny, Nunny, ih womp comoff. Helfp!"

Hermione started to laugh, then seemed to remember it was the dead of night and they were out past curfew, and she stifled her laughter.

"What happened next?" she asked.

"Well it didn't take my aunt long to realize that I was behind it. She demanded I stop whatever it was I was doing. I said I would agree, just as soon as she bought me a new pair of shoes. She bought me the cheapest things on the shelf and I released the spell. I reckon the shopkeeper was never so confused though."

Hermione chuckled a little more. Harry glance at the clock 11:57.

"But," Hermione said. "You meant to do what you did? It wasn't an accident?"

"Yeah." he said. There chuckles faded away.

"And you've always managed to do what you wanted too with magic?" he nodded. "That's incredible," she said.

"Well it wasn't like I was doing anything too impressive, at least not at first. But after much practice I could get by with a few different things. She was about to ask him what it was he could get by with ,when they heard a muffled sound from outside the trophy room.

They both stood up quickly. 12:00.

"Potter?" they heard a whispered voice.

"Over here Mr. Malfoy."

Draco's face appeared inside the trophy room. He walked briskly over to where Harry and Hermione were.

"What's she doing here?" he hissed. And Hermione bristled.

"She's here for the educational aspect of course." Harry said pleasantly. "You are ready to duel I take it?"

"Of course." said Malfoy pulling out his wand.

"Did you manage to look up a spell or two?" Harry asked amusedly. Malfoy flushed.

"Guess you'll find out." he said.

"Well somebody's feeling confident." Harry said grinning.

"Now the rules," began Harry. "No dark arts, no unforgivables, though I doubt you could cast one. How's that sound?"

"Fine by me." Malfoy said cooly.

"Very well. Winner is the one who manages to disarm their opponent or until one of us can longer fight. Hermione I believe you will be able to judge that?" she nodded. "Now if you will take five steps that way and I'll take five steps this way. Then we will turn around. Hermione if you will count to three at that point we can begin."

Hermione nodded. Despite not wanting to come down at first, she was now feeling a little excited about seeing a wizard's duel, not that she would tell Harry. Harry and Draco took there five paces and turned around then looked to Hermione.

"One, Two-," Draco aimed his wand at Harry.

" _Rictumsempra!_ " he shouted. The blue light flew towards Harry. He merely twisted his head to the side and watched it fly by him.

"Now that wasn't very nice," Harry said, "you were supposed to wait until three."

"Three." Hermione said.

Draco launched another curse at Harry, this time a bogie curse.

Harry merely dodged to the other side this time. The curse flew by him and went harmlessly into a bookcase.

"Fight me, coward." Draco called out to him.

"Oh alright then. Harry's wand appeared in his hand and he lazily pointed it at Draco. _"Lumos Maximus! Petrificus Totalis! Expelliarmus!"_

Draco's eyes widened. A blinding flash of light caused him to shield his eyes. He felt his arms and legs snap together and his wand flew out of his hand and Harry caught it in his outstretched hand. Hermione looked on in amazement. The duel lasted maybe ten seconds.

"Hermione?"

"What? I mean, yes?"

"Would you agree that Draco is unable to continue?" At that moment, Draco without being able to use his legs, fell face forward onto the ground. Harry and Hermione winced.

"Draco Malfoy is unable to continue fighting," she said. "Winner is Harry Potter."

"Excellent. Well that concludes our duel then."

Harry walked over to Draco.

"Finite."

Draco's arms and legs slumped away from him and he slowly got to his feet.

"Well that was fun. I most enjoyed it didn't you?" Draco glared at Harry and then winced and brought his hand to his forehead. It was cut slightly and was bleeding.

"Sheesh that's gonna hurt." Harry said sympathetically. "Here let me help you clean that up." He brought his wand up to Draco's face. Draco immediately shrank back from it.

"Woah take it easy, I'm just gonna heal that cut. Nothing I can do about the bruise though."

"Bruise?" Malfoy almost squeaked out.

"Er..nevermind. Here hold still." Harry moved his wand in a slow motion and muttered a spell that neither Draco or Hermione could hear. The cut above Draco's eyes stopped bleeding and started to fade away. It was still there, only now it looked days old instead of minutes.

"There, you're all good. Though you might want some ice for that eye." Draco just glowered at him, though halfheartedly.

"Well we need to get going, got to get a good night sleep if we can." Harry passed him his wand.

"Coming Hermione?"

Hermione took a look at Draco like she wanted to say something, but then followed Harry out of the trophy room. A minute later Draco left too. The trophy room was quiet once again.

A pair of eyes came out of the darkness.

"Hmmm. I'll need to keep an eye on you won't I Mr. Potter?"

And then he too swept away from the Trophy room.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Close Calls

The halls of the castle were dark and gloomy. In a few short weeks the night would bring with it cool breezes that would have students bundled in cloaks and hats. As it was, the castle was still relatively comfortable, this due to the warm nights September was offering at this time.

Harry breezed through the halls, Hermione in tow. They were less rushed than they had been an hour ago and the adrenaline of their daring night escapade had ridden away leaving both students sleepy.

Clack!

Harry and Hermione froze. Somebody was near.

"Do you think it's Malfoy?" Hermione whispered very quietly.

"He would have gone downstairs, not up." he whispered back.

Click! Clack! The steps were getting closer.

"Quick, this way," Harry pulled Hermione with him into an alcove behind a suit of armour. The shadows of the night cloaked them well.

The footsteps came nearer. From behind the statue they could see a shadowy figure coming into view.

"It's Professor Snape." Hermione whispered.

Snape walked leisurely, his cloak blowing behind him a few inches.

Harry and Hermione held there breath until he had passed them. After waiting a minute for good measure, they extracted themselves from there hiding place.

"What do you think he's doing up?" Hermione asked.

"Must be on patrol." Harry said.

 _"_ _Or, he's noticed one of his students is out of bed."_ Lily added.

"Or he's noticed a student of his is out of bed." Harry echoed. "Either way we should get back to the common room."

"Alright, let's go," Hermione said and they made their way down the hall the opposite direction Snape had come from. They took a right turn and went for a few steps before coming to a large set of doors. Harry went to turn the knob, but it wouldn't budge.

"Locked." he said put out. "We'll have to go the long way around-" he stopped speaking abruptly. From down the hall, they could hear hurried footsteps.

"Sniff around my sweet, they can't be far now."

"Crap." Harry let out.

Hermione paled, they were going to be caught by Filch. Harry looked around but this hallway was devoid of statue's to hide behind.

"We need to get through that door, but-." Harry said. Hermione nodded and before Harry could finish she pulled out her wand, pointed it at the door and whispered, _"Alohomora."_ With a click the lock opened. They opened the door and rushed inside. Before they could close the door, Harry was sure he caught a glimpse of Ms. Norris' red eyes.

Hermione watched Filch appear in the hallway through the keyhole in the door.

"Filch is there." Hermione whispered. "Harry?" She turned to look at Harry who had gone very still and was looking behind them with terror in his eyes.

"Harry what-" And she finished turning all the way around and found out exactly what.

Laying spread out on the floor, covered in mounds of fur was an enormous three headed dog. It's three heads were snoring softly. Drool was pooling out of it's mouths and pointed teeth could be seen.

"Eep-" Hermione let out a stifled scream. Stifled, because Harry clamped a hand over her mouth. Her breathing came out sharp and fast for a few breaths, before she calmed down enough for Harry to take his hand back.

Without speaking Harry pointed to the side of the hallway between the beast and the walls. There was just enough room for a person to get by. Hermione looked at him questioningly, before realizing what his intentions were.

She shook her head vehemently at him. 'Absolutely not,' she thought. Harry however shrugged as if to say, 'You can go back, I'm going this way.'

With careful footsteps, Harry edged toward the wall and began to tread lightly toward the side of the beast. He glanced back at her and nodded his head to indicate her to follow.

Hermione took a glance back through the key hole. Filch was still there and worse his cat was sniffing the ground and leading him towards the door. She gulped before glancing back at Harry. He was halfway by the hell-hound.

 _"_ _Colloportus."_ she whispered, wand pointed at the door. At least Filch wouldn't be able to follow. Then she started after Harry, carefully putting one foot in front of the other, eyes never leaving the three headed dog.

Harry was now past the dog and slowly making his way to the door on the other side of the short hall.

Hermione was now as close as she would be to the beast. She watched in horrid fascination as it's one head nearest to her slowly breathed in and out. A small pile of drool dripped out of its mouth with each exhale, but rose back up with each inhale.

Looking closer she could see a small silver tag attached to a collar around it's neck. She bent closer to read it.

"Fluffy?" the disbelief of the name caused her to whisper it out loud. That was a mistake. One eye blinked open. At that moment she was sure her heart stopped beating.

"Hermione, what are you _doing_?" Harry hissed.

Very quickly she walked backwards making her way towards Harry. Fluffy's third head rose into the air and started to sniff. Then it started to growl and its other two heads woke up.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, then abandoned all pretence of stealth. "Open the door, _now_!" she yelled, and started to run.

Without missing a beat, Harry unlocked the door and swung it open. Hermione dashed through and Harry stepped through immediately and pulled it shut. A loud thump rattled the door. Harry held it shut and Hermione whispered the locking charm on the

door. They collapsed to the ground and took a moment to slow down their breathing.

"As I was going to say," Harry began. " _before_ you opened the door…we are in the third floor corridor on the _right_ side. Remember the feast?"

"The warning Dumbledore gave us," Hermione said, heart beating rapidly, remembering the Headmaster's words.

"Exactly."

"Next time, warn me faster!"

"There's going to be a next time?" he asked. He withered under the glare she sent him.

"Fluffy," Hermione said again, still in disbelief. "Who on _earth_ named that..beast Fluffy?"

They thought for a moment.

"What do you suppose it's doing there anyway?" Harry asked.

"Didn't you see it?" she said, then continued on when he shook his head. "There is a trap door on the floor. " _Fluffy_ is obviously guarding something."

"A mystery then!" Harry exclaimed with glee.

"Harry, absolutely not," Hermione said in horror. "We are not _ever_ going back inside that room, do you hear me?"

"Alright, alright, calm down," he said quickly. "I didn't say we had to go in the room. I just want to know what's guarding."

"Fine," she said giving him a stern look. "But if I find you going near the room I'll report you to McGonagall."

With that she got up. "Now Harry Potter, I hope you know which way we go to get back to our room, because I am ridiculously lost."

She turned to look down at him only to find him staring into space.

"Harry?" She waved a hand in front of his face.

"Look Harry, I don't have time for games-"

But then he snapped to attention. "Down the hall behind the last statue, a hidden set of stairs leads up to the sixth floor. From there we can find our way."

Hermione was silent for a moment. She opened her mouth as if to say something but then thought better of it.

"Lead the way then."

Harry glanced at her uneasily, but got up and started off. They walked in silence until they got to the statue and stopped.

"Well?" Hermione asked.

Harry pulled out his wand and gave the statue three taps. They watched in amazement as it leapt to the side, revealing a narrow set of stairs behind it. They quickly ran up them.

"How do you always seem to know where things are?" Hermione suddenly blurted out as they were halfway up the stairs.

Harry stopped and paused for a moment before turning to her with a grin.

"And don't you dare lie to me," she said, "I want an honest answer."

The grin faded from his face and he looked uncertain. He brought his hand to his glasses and adjusted them. Then he sighed.

"I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?" She said.

"I mean, I can't tell you," he repeated.

"Does this have something to do with the voices in your head," she asked, sarcastically.

Instead of firing off a retort like she expected him to do, he looked startled instead, before covering it up with what looked like a forced smile.

"Haha it does actually."

"Very funny." Hermione said, though she wondered if perhaps he wasn't actually joking.

They came to the top of the stairs and opened a door that let them out into a hallway on the sixth floor. When they closed the door behind them, Hermione noticed that the hallway side of the door was camouflaged with brick to look like part of the wall.

"If you ever feel the need to go back down this way, tap your wand here, here and here," he indicated. "Of course, seeing how it leads to Fluffy, you may not want to take that route."

She shuddered, "No, definitely not."

They set off down the hall and found themselves at the main staircase and began walking up.

"I suppose you aren't going to tell me how you are so good at magic either?"

"I told you," he said, "lots of practice."

"Hmph," she sniffed, "I don't believe you. And you would have only gotten your wand less than two months ago. Nobody can learn that much magic in two months. "

"Well that may be true," he answered slowly. "But one does not need a wand to do magic. A wand is a great focusing device for magic, and it certainly makes magic easier to do." They got to the seventh floor and at last the Common Room entrance was in sight.

"But, by practicing without a wand, I've learned to focus my magic, harness it and wield it to my desire," he said. Hermione was listening to him and hanging off every word.

"Even so, I could only do the most simple of spells, creating a small amount of light to read by, or summoning small items. Sometimes I could even levitate objects."

They stopped in front of the Common room entrance.

"But then I got my wand and things changed. Suddenly that small amount of light I could create became blindingly bright. The first time I summoned an object with my wand it came to me so fast, it nearly took off my head," he chuckled and Hermione let out a stifled laugh.

"I had to learn how much force to put behind my spells. It took awhile to get used to, but I think I got it now. I'm not some super wizard, I'm just used of putting a lot of focus and power into my spells."

They turned to the portrait.

"A little young to be out on your own aren't you dearies?" The portrait asked sleepily.

"Maybe," Harry answered, "But we're alive." He said cheerfully.

"Barely," Hermione muttered.

"Anyway, Ms. Elaine we need to go in. Pig Snout."

The portrait swung open.

"We made it, " Hermione breathed happily, stepping inside.

"Sure did." Harry agreed following her as she went to the tall window to look at the night.

"There's one thing you still haven't explained," Hermione said turning to Harry suddenly.

"And what would that be?" he asked, a small smile on his face.

"You said you got...well...good at magic by practicing before you got to Hogwarts. But if you never did magic accidentally, and you were raised by your muggle relatives... how did you know magic existed in the first place?" She peered at him intensively and Harry's smile died a little.

 _"_ _Well...we're screwed."_

"Well.." Harry began, eyes darting around the dark common room as though looking for options. "I suppose I just always knew," he finished lamely.

Hermione looked at him skeptically, "Really?" She said flatly.

"Yeah," he said, smiling weakly.

"Alright then." She said, though the disbelief was still evident in her tone. "Well, I'm going to bed now," she paused before adding, "You should too. Goodnight Harry." And she swept away.

Harry stood and watched her make her way upstairs. "Goodnight Hermione." He murmured. He turned to look at the fire, it's dying embers giving a small area of the room a soft warm glow, and went over to sit on a couch nearby. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Is everything ok Harry?" his mom asked.

"Yeah it's just...do you think I should have told her?" He said after a minute.

"About us?" James asked softly. "It's your call son, always has been."

"If you want to tell that girl, we will support you hon." Lily affirmed.

"But you don't think I should." Harry said, putting a hand on his cheek and resting that elbow on his knee.

There was hesitance from both his parents before James spoke again.

"Hearing voices in your head isn't a good sign, even in the wizard world. Once you let something like that out, you can't take it back. Even if she, or whoever you tell believes you, things might still be complicated."

"Complicated how?" Harry asked.

"If you were to become...closer to that person and wanted to spend time alone together, there might be some...awkwardness."

"Er, how so?"

"Well er, James do you want to take this one?"

"Because she," James said. "Or he I suppose, would never know if they were talking to just you or all of us. And they might be uncomfortable sharing things with you because of that."

"Oh." said Harry quietly.

"You still get the last call on this," James said quickly. "If you think it's worth telling somebody about us, we're with you."

"Absolutely." Lily added.

"No you guys are right," Harry said getting up from the couch. "I should have thought of that actually. I might feel a little uncomfortable if I knew Hermione's mom or dad was in her head." Harry gave a short laugh. "How hypocritical is that? I have you guys in my head but the idea of someone else having the same thing makes me uncomfortable."

"It would make most people uncomfortable I imagine." Lily said.

"Well for now I guess I tell no one." Harry looked up at the clock on the Common room wall. It read _1:12_.

"Well I'm going to bed. Wake me just before breakfast?"

"Of course sweetie." Lily said "Sleep well. And remember, we love you."

"We do." James said.

Harry smiled. "I love you too, mum and dad. Goodnight."

There might have been negatives to having his parents chained to him, Harry thought, but at moments like these he would be hard pressed to name any of them.

—

It seemed however, like Harry's parents would not be needed to wake him up after all. Harry felt like his head had just hit the pillow when he was being shaken awake.

"Mmm five more minutes, mum," he mumbled sleepily.

"Mum?" A young voice, that definitely did not belong to his mother answered.

 _"_ _Er, not us sport."_

Harry's eyes snapped open and landed on a slightly blurry face.

"Ron?" He mumbled sleepily, "What are you waking me up for?"

"We want to know how the duel went of course! So? How was it? Did you beat him?" Ron's voice had all the delicacy of a wrestling match taking place in a china shop. Harry held a hand to his head and moaned.

"Not so loud mate," and then, "What do you mean we?"

"Seamus, Dean and Neville." Ron said.

Harry leaned over to his nightstand and grabbed his glasses. Putting them on he could see standing behind Ron was the rest of the first year male Gryffindors. He threw off the blankets and got up and stretched.

"Well?" Ron asked eagerly. "Did you win?"

Despite the rude awakening, Harry let a brief smile cross his face. Ron's enthusiasm could be infectious.

"Morning," Harry said nodding to Dean, Seamus and Neville.

"Mornin' mate"

"Hey Harry"

"Told him not to wake ya, sorry mate."

Harry nodded and turned to Ron. "Yes Ron, I won. Now I'll be grabbing a shower. If you want to know more you'll have to ask Hermione."

"Hermione?!" The boys chorused incredulously.

"What was she doing there?" Ron asked.

"She followed me," Harry said over his shoulder.

"Huh," Ron said when Harry left, "I never would have thought her to be the type to break curfew."

"Guess you don't know her as well as you thought." Seamus offered.

"Guess not," Ron said thoughtfully. "I've got to ask her about it!" he said suddenly. "Who's with me?"

—

Hermione was not having a good morning. The night before she had gone to bed later than she had in a very long time. Normally Hermione was in bed around 10. With a good book she might stay up till 11 or maybe 11:30 at the latest. Last night she had gone to bed around 1. She was an early riser, so she had to make sure she didn't stay up too late or she would regret it. Like she was now.

The sun was up and coming into the first year Gryffindor girls tower at an angle that put it's rays beaming onto her pillow. With a groan, she buried her head into her pillow, her tangled hair spilling around it. Normally Hermione enjoyed waking with the sun, but today she did not feel ready to get up at all. She tried to go back to sleep even though she knew it would be no use. She cursed that she had inherited her father's gene's. Dr. Granger was normally up no later than 6. With a huff she threw the blankets off and got up. Surveying the room she found that the other girls were still sleeping.

" _Curse them_." she thought, then snickered when she remembered that she was a witch and could very well curse them if she wanted to. She envied Lavender who could sleep through a train wreck. Deciding not to curse them (for now) she threw on a casual robe and decided to head down to breakfast.

 _"_ _I hope Harry feels as lousy as I do_." she thought, a little spitefully.

She made her way down the steps and was halfway to the common room entrance when an overly loud voice shouted her name.

"Hermione!"

She turned to see Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom and a couple other of the first year Gryffindor boys walking quickly towards her.

"What?" she said and grimaced when it came out more rude than she meant.

Ron clearly noticed the tone and hesitated for a second before he continued on.

"We heard you.. What happened to your hair?" he said, interrupting himself. She glared at him. She had completely forgotten what that would look like.

"I mean..er never mind. Harry told us to ask you if we wanted to know what happened last night."

Her eyes widened. Had Harry told them about Fluffy? Luckily Ron mistook her look for one of confusion.

"You know? The duel?" he said. "He said he won but he wouldn't give any details. He said to ask you though. You know, I never would have thought you would break curfew. Guess you're not a teacher's pet after all." he said grinning.

Hermione was at war internally. Ron was praising her for apparently breaking curfew, but she had gotten locked out of the common room _because_ she was trying to convince Harry to follow the rules. It was infuriating. And yet there was a small part of her that wanted to let Ron and the other boys think that she might be willing to break the rules once in a while. She squashed it down.

"For your information, I only followed him, because I got locked out of the common room when I was trying to convince him not to go and duel."

"How do you get locked out of the common room?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Because Ms. Elaine," Hermione said the portrait's name sarcastically. "Decided to go for a walk."

The boys guffawed at her misfortune.

"Well that makes a lot more sense now." Ron said mirthfully, glancing at Seamus. "So how was the duel then?"

Hermione took a breath to calm down and think about it.

"Short." she said. "Malfoy shot a couple spells at Harry, but he just dodged them. Then Malfoy called him a coward and Harry then drew his wand. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light and I had to shut my eyes. When I opened them, Malfoy's arms and legs were pinned together and Harry had his wand."

"Wow." the boys said.

"That's bloody wicked." Ron said. "I wish I could have seen that. Next time I'm going to go and watch."

"Absolutely not." Hermione cried. "If we got caught we could have gotten detention." she said fiercely.

"But you didn't." Ron said pointedly.

"Well we could have." she hissed.

"Whatever book worm. If Harry duels somebody again, I'm so there." he said, turning to the boys who nodded in agreement. "I'm hungry, let's get breakfast." As the boys left, Neville turned to her and gave her a sympathetic look.

Hermione's anger deflated as they left and she was left with a feeling of miserableness. Ron's comment about her being a book worm hurt more than she let on. She wanted to crawl back into her bed and be alone.

She turned around to leave and crashed into someone. Luckily that someone was quick to recover. He held and balanced them both before they toppled over.

"Woah." he said. Hermione looked up to see Harry.

"Sorry." she mumbled.

"S'alright." he said.

They suddenly realized they were still holding each other and quickly let go. Harry took in her down cast eyes.

"Hey are you alright?" he said concerned.

"I'm fine." she said looking away.

 _"_ _That means she's not fine Harry."_

 _"_ _Yeah I kind of got that dad."_

 _"_ _Just checking."_

"Hey listen, if this is about yesterday, I'm sorry you got dragged into it. I didn't mean for that to happen."

"No it's not about yesterday." she said and Harry could tell, that whatever she was upset about, wasn't because of anything he had done. Maybe he could cheer her up though.

"Hey listen, I've been thinking about what that trapdoor might be for," he held up his hands suddenly, "Don't worry I'm not going near Fluffy again if I can help it," he said grinning. "But I thought we could brainstorm a few ideas about what he could be guarding. I've already got a few myself."

"Oh really?" she said slightly intrigued. "Like what?"

"I'll tell you on the way to breakfast," he said enthusiastically. "I can't think well on an empty stomach."

"Ok." she said smiling.

Suddenly Harry got a confused look on his face.

"Er, Hermione…You know you hair is a bit uh..messy, right? I mean, not that I can talk," he said quickly," "My hair's always a mess, "

Hermione blushed and looked embarrassed. "I'll be right back."

—

"You can't be serious!" she said in disbelief, grabbing a biscuit.

"Well..why not?" he challenged playfully, taking a spoonful of oatmeal for himself.

"Because it's just..preposterous!" she said leaning her head forward.

"It's possible."

"So is winning the lottery." she retorted. "There is no way Albus Dumbledore is using an ancient guard dog to protect a goblet that produces a never ending supply of sweets!"

"Ah, but not just any sweets," Harry said pointing his spoon at Hermione for emphasis, "Sweets that make you all-knowing and wise, and have a side effect of giving one a luscious beard. Do you suppose I would look good with a beard?" he said thoughtfully.

"Definitely not." she said.

"Would that be to my Candy Goblet Theory or to me having a beard?" he said seriously.

"Both," she said rolling her eyes.

Harry and Hermione were in the Great Hall eating breakfast and discussing possible things that would be worth guarding with a three headed dog. Their ideas so far had consisted of a broomstick that was made entirely of gold, books that predated the first century, a wand that made the user unbeatable and now, a goblet that would produce a never ending supply of sweets. The type of sweets was undecided.

"Hmm," Harry said, "I suppose it might be a bit farfetched. Though I'm not entirely convinced on the beard."

"Hmph," Hermione said. "It's more likely that an ancient artifact is under protection."

"What's under protection?"

Harry and Hermione looked up to see Neville looking over at them. He seemed to have lost interest in a debate that was going on between Ron and Dean. The topic? Quidditch vs Football. Harry gave Hermione a look that said to be careful with how much information they gave out. They obviously didn't want to reveal that they had encountered Fluffy.

"We aren't sure actually," Hermione began and Neville slid down to sit beside Harry and listen. "But we think that something important is being hidden here at Hogwarts."

"Really?" he said eyes wide. "How come? And something like what?"

"The third floor corridor that's off limits," Harry said, looking around to make sure he wasn't overheard. "It just seems like it might be off-limits because there could be something hidden there. We were just trying to figure out what someone would hide there."

"Hmm," Neville thoughtfully, "I really couldn't say. Usually if wizards want to hide something, they would just put it in Gringott's."

"Huh," Harry said.

"Yeah nobody would want to break in there. Wouldn't want to think about what the goblins would do to you if you were caught," Neville shuddered. "Although," he said suddenly, "Did you hear about the break in?"

"There was a break in?"

 _"_ _At Gringotts?"_

Neville nodded. "Yeah, it was all over the Prophet back in the summer."

 _"_ _Ask what was taken."_

"What did they take?"

"Well that's the funny thing," Neville said, "The vault was broken into, but nothing was taken. Apparently it was emptied the same day, by some one who had access."

"Wow," said Harry and Hermione.

 _"_ _That's unbelievable."_

 _"_ _Breaking into Gringotts is almost impossible."_

"Actually it happened the same day I went to Diagon Alley to buy my school supplies. The thirty first of July, my birthday." he said a bit shyly.

"Hey that's my birthday too," said Harry in surprise. "And I was there the same day."

Harry looked at Hermione. "Do you think it's possible that whatever's hidden in the third floor could be the same object that was moved from the vault at Gringott's?," Harry said questioningly.

Hermione thought about it. "It's unlikely. I mean we don't even know if the object, if there is one, actually ever would have been at Gringotts."

"Yeah but think about it," Harry argued, "Last year the third floor wasn't forbidden. So obviously something of value was brought here for this year. Why not back in the summer? And from Gringotts?" he crossed his arms.

She seemed to have no answer for that. "Alright so maybe it's possible that something was moved to Hogwarts from Gringotts," she gave in. "But it doesn't necessarily mean it was from the same vault that was broken into."

Neville looked back and forth between Hermione and Harry like he was watching a tennis match.

"Hmm" Harry thought.

 _"_ _Ask Neville if he saw anything suspicious when he was in Diagon Alley."_ his mom said.

"Hey Neville, if you were in Diagon Alley the day it was broken into, you might have seen the thief. Did you see anything suspicious in the Alley? Or maybe near Gringott's?"

"Blimey," Neville said, "I never really thought about that. Well it was awhile ago.."

"Anything you can remember," Harry said.

"Well I actually was in Gringott's," he said, and Harry and Hermione leaned in to listen. "My gran brought me there for me to take some money out of our vault for shopping."

"Did you see anyone there?" Hermione asked. "Suspicious like?"

He shook his head. "Not in Gringotts. Actually the only person we ran into in there was Hagrid."

"Hagrid," Harry said in surprise, "What was he doing there?"

"I'm not really sure." Neville said thinking. "Actually my gran stopped him to say hi for a moment. He was leaving and we had just stepped inside. They didn't talk for long though, he said he was running an errand for Professor Dumbledore. Blimey, Harry maybe you're right. Maybe he was moving the object to Hogwarts."

Harry grinned and looked at Hermione. "See?" he said.

Hermione didn't look convinced, "Was he holding anything?" she asked. "Like a parcel or a package of some kind?"

"Well no, not that I remember," said Neville. "But then it could have been something small that he could fit in a pocket."

"Maybe it's an unbeatable wand then," Harry mused.

"Nobody would hide an unbeatable wand, Harry," Hermione said, exasperated. "They would just use it."

"Perhaps," Harry said. "I'll just have to ask Hagrid myself."

"Do you think he would tell you, even he did move something extremely secret?" Hermione asked doubtfully.

"He might. Hagrid was a friend of my parents. Maybe I could wean it out of him." he said. He stood up and wiped his face with a napkin. "I'm going to go write him a letter. See if I can get invited for tea or something."

"Good luck then." said Hermione

"Good luck, Harry," Neville said.

—

If Hermione had a bad morning, then Draco was having a worse one. He had been completely thrashed in a duel that had lasted a pitiful amount of time. He would have told Professor Snape that Potter had given him the small bruise he was now sporting, except he he didn't want to lose credibility amongst the other Slytherin's if word got out that he had coming out on the losing end of a duel with Potter.

'Nobody should be that good with a wand,' he grumbled to himself. 'And definitely not a first year.'

Draco had always considered himself a competent wizard. He had grown up in a wizarding household. He had attended functions and been introduced to several great wizards his father had known. He had even been instructed by tutors his father had hired for him. Potter had none of those things. And yet somehow, somewhere, Potter had learned to duel well enough to completely outclass him. The only solace Draco found was that Potter could probably out duel every first year student at Hogwarts.

'No shame in losing to the best,' was a phrase that came to mind.

He turned his attention back to what he was doing, which was trying to hide the bruise above his left temple. Using a pocket mirror he was trying in vain to find a hairstyle that would look good and hide his bruise at the same time. Unfortunately, many years of having his hair slicked back, had caused his hair to naturally sit back. The strands that he brushed over his face would sit for just a moment before springing straight up and falling backwards.

There was one solution he could do, though he was loathe to do it. He knew that sometimes girls would use makeup to hide skin blemishes; his mother did so from time to time. Problem was, he didn't have any makeup. If he wanted some he would have to ask one of the girls for some, probably Pansy. And that would lead to some awkward questions.

"Damn you to hell, Potter." he swore.

He gave his hair one last look and finally decided to bite the bullet, as the muggles would say. He left his dorm and walked upstairs to his cool green common room in search of a girl. He hoped Pansy was around, she might not rub it in, like he was sure the other girls might. He spotted the backs of a couple girls that were about his height and casually walked over to them. He put a hand over his bruise like he was scratching his face

"-And I've looked at the schedule, but we won't have another until next Tuesday-"

"And you still don't know-"

"I told you..have no idea."

Draco could over hear them as he drew nearer. Unfortunately though, while they were in first year, none of them were Pansy. One blond haired girl turned around and spotted him.

"Can we help you, Malfoy." she asked cooly.

Draco almost winced. It was Daphne Greengrass and she was talking to Millicent Bulstrode. No doubt she thought he might spying on them.

"Um yeah," he said. "Have you seen Pansy?"

Daphne raised an eyebrow slightly. "She left already, went to breakfast."

Draco groaned. The last thing he wanted to do was go into the Great Hall looking like this.

Daphne seemed to notice his frustration. "Everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," Draco said quickly, "I mean, no. I mean," Draco leaned in closer and started talking in a lower voice. "Look I need a favour."

"What favour?" Daphne said speaking lower as well. Millicent looked on curiously.

"I need makeup."

Daphne raised both eyebrows and Millicent stifled a snort.

"For what?" she said incredulously.

"For this," he said irritably and pulled his hand away from his face.

Daphne whistled low.

"Woah, nice shiner. Did you you finally annoy the wrong person?" Daphne said amused.

"I walked into a wall last night," he said lying through his teeth. "One of those ones that pretend to be a doorway. So will you help me? Do you even have makeup?"

"Well of course I have makeup," she said haughtily. "But I'm not just going to let you put your grubby hands all over my make up set."

Draco fumed a bit and wanted to say that his hands were most certainly _not_ grubby, whatever that mean't, but decided that getting into an argument might be counter-productive to getting her help.

"Fine," he said, "What if say, you put it on for me? Then I wouldn't have to touch it anyway."

Daphne looked at Millicent and thought about it for a moment.

"Alright I'll help you cover that up-," and Draco wanted to cheer before she added, "-on one condition."

Draco suddenly felt uneasy, "What condition?" he said nervously.

Daphne flashed an evil smile. "That you tell us how you really smacked your face."

"I told you," Draco said voice strained. "I walked into a wall."

"Yes you said that," Daphne said tonelessly. "I just don't believe you."

"That's really what happened!" he said voice rising.

"If you say so," Daphne said sounding bored. "Well I'm hungry, shall we go to breakfast Milly?"

"Lets." Millicent said grinning at Draco, and the girls started to walk away.

"I swear it," Draco called out, "I swear- ah alright I'll tell you!" he hurried towards them and Daphne and Millicent stopped walking and turned to look at him expectantly.

"Well?"

"I lost a duel ok?"

Daphne's eye's rose, "You don't know how to duel," she said disbelief in her tone.

"Yeah thanks, I know that, now."

Daphne seemed to consider this. "Alright," she said, "So who bested you?"

Draco huffed before mumbling a name under his breath.

"I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that." Daphne said cheerfully.

"I said, Potter alright?"

"Ooh, no wonder you didn't want to tell us," Daphne said almost triumphantly, and Draco simmered.

"Now will you help me?" he said sounding quite frustrated.

"Hmm alright." Daphne said. She turned to Millicent. "Tell Tracey I'll be late to breakfast if you see her will you?" and she nodded.

"Now, let's fix up that eye."

—

Harry was whistling a happy tune as he walked down from the owlery. He had spent the morning writing a letter to Hagrid and had just sent it now. He knew from his parents that he could have walked down to the little hut on Hogwarts grounds and knocked on the door, but he felt it might be better to have a planned visit instead. He wanted to have time to hopefully draw some information out of him.

" _Oh the rhythm of my heart_ ," he sang to himself quietly,

" _Is beating like a drum_

 _with the words I love you rolling off my tongue_."

His parents joined in with him, filling his head with a symphony of voices

" _No never will I roam_

 _for I know my place is home_

 _Where the ocean meets the sky, I'll be sailing… Oh the rhythm of my heart…"_

He (or perhaps one would say they) continued to repeat the chorus as he walked the stone path that led back to castle. Suddenly as he stepped into the castle, he was accosted by a set of twins with light red hair. They came at him from both sides and before he could think about escaping they were on either side of him. They each took a hold of his shoulders and walked along with him.

"Oh Harry, Harry, Harry." the one on his left began.

"We thought we had an understanding," the right twin said. It was Fred and George, Ron's brothers Harry noticed.

"Indeed," the left twin said. "And yet here we are."

"Not even finished one month into the term, we might add."

"And what do we hear, but Harry Potter somehow managing to rescue fellow Gryffindor Longbottom."

"From a potions accident that could've had deadly consequences."

"And then saves him yet again."

"From what might have been a horrific broomstick accident."

"Now Harry we understand you are new here, but we did have a deal. Didn't we George?"

"I thought I was Fred?"

"No today you're George, you're Fred tomorrow."

"Ah right."

"Yes, well…like we were saying, we had a deal didn't we George?"

"To right we did."

"That if you were to perform ahem, any unexplainable, life-changing, heroic acts of magic, we would be hauling you in for questioning."

"Yes and undoubtedly pranking would most definitely ensue.

"We would owe it to the male population of Hogwarts."

"You would?" Harry said.

"Absolutely. After all if you are going to be gaining all the attention of the, shall we say fairer sex, then we need to make sure that the ladies understand that you are as mortal as the rest of us blokes are."

"It's only fair."

"Indeed, this way the rest of us blokes have a chance to woo our lasses."

"Alright," Harry said scratching his head. "Are you telling me I'm to be pranked mercilessly unless I tone it down or something?"

"Well," the one calling himself Fred began, "Whilst we were plotting and preparing."

"To prank you silly."

"It just so happened that our ickle brother Ronniekins."

"Mentioned that you were bit of a natural on a broomstick."

"I believe his exact words were, _Harry could probably fly backwards, better than half the seventh years could fly forwards."_

"We thought at first that he was exaggerating."

"He does that sometimes."

"But then we heard the same thing from from the other Gryffindor first years."

"Heck we overheard some Slytherin first year girl, talking about how well Potter could control a broomstick." Fred said with a wink.

Harry blushed slightly "Is there a point to this?" he asked.

"It just so happens that there is." George affirmed.

"You see the Gryffindor Quidditch team happens to be without a Seeker right now."

"It is a roll that was filled until last year by our own brother Charlie."

"Oliver Wood.."

"Our new Quidditch captain."

"Has yet to find a replacement for Charlie."

"Indeed, Quidditch tryouts were held last week."

"And poor Ollie was so dismayed by our uh, hopefuls, that he told them he would post the results in a week in the common room."

"It's been over a week now and Oliver has yet to post such a notice. It looks like he's going to have to pick some fourth year kid."

"You mean the one that didn't know which end of the broomstick to hold?" Fred asked.

"That'd be the one." he answered

"Indeed things are looking bleak."

"Unless of course you step in." George said.

"Indeed, from what we hear you might actually have the talent to give Gryffindor a fighting chance."

"There is also the added benefit that as a fellow teammate we would manage to forget your previous transgressions as a prodigious student of magic, that manages to make the rest of us blokes look inept."

"Quite right, all planned pranking against Harry would be ceased if he becomes a member of the team and ensues Gryffindor's continued glory on the Quidditch field."

"So what say you Harry?" George asked. "Are you willing to become Gryffindor's newest seeker?"

"Well," Harry began, "It seems you have left me with no choice. I humbly request a tryout for our house team at your earliest convenience."

"Excellent." The brothers said together.

"Meet Oliver on the Quidditch field at 1 o'clock." Fred said clapping him on the back.

"Now I do believe we have work to get to."

"Quite right, those Slytherin's won't prank themselves."

"Best of luck Harry."

And with that the twins took off.

"Well alright then." Harry said. "Did I just get blackmailed into playing Quidditch?"

 _"_ _I think you did. You know, in my day we actually had to tryout for the team."_ his dad teased.

"Ah stuff it dad," Harry said, "I will be trying out."

He heard light laughter in his head. _"Maybe, although I'm pretty sure the tryout it just a formality."_

 _"_ _But give it your best shot anyway,"_ his mom said. _"I want my boy to work hard even if he's guaranteed the spot anyway."_

"I will mom," he said. "And do you know how weird it is to hear you talk about me in third person? We share a body for goodness sake!"

Whatever answer she would have given was drowned out by James' barking laughter.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - Secrets Revealed

The next day Harry awoke to a gentle tapping on a window of the Gryffindor tower. He opened his eyes and blinked, taking in the site of a fuzzy brown shape inside a square filled with light. With a groan he reached over and put on his glasses, then looked over again realizing there was an owl waiting to be let into the room.

 _Tap, tap, tap._

"Someone let that blasted bird in," Seamus mumbled. Before Harry could, Ron was walking over to the window and threw it open. The owl promptly flew over to Harry and perched on his nightstand. Harry reached over and untied the note that the owl was carrying and opened it.

 _Harry,_

 _Feel free to come over any time after three this afternoon. I'll make us a cuppa' tea and biscuits. Send a message with Thatch, if ya can mak' it. Look forward ter seein' ya,_

 _Hagrid_

"Who's that from?" Ron asked interested.

"Hagrid," Harry replied, reaching into his trunk for a parchment and a quill. "Going to visit him this afternoon."

Harry quickly scratched a note saying, yes he would be able to make tea and would come by about three. He put his quill away and then tied up his letter and attached it to Thatch the owl and then told him to take his letter to Hagrid. Stretching his eyes wandered around the room before falling on Scabbers the rat.

"I'm getting dressed." he said then, walking to the bathroom.

"Doing something now?" Ron asked inquisitively.

"Library." Harry called back grabbing a toothbrush.

"Library?" Ron said unenthusiastically. "Why would you want to go there? I didn't think we had any homework that needed us to go there this weekend…do we?" he suddenly asked nervously.

"No I just wanted to..look up something. I'll probably only be an hour or so." he said around a mouthful of toothpaste.

"Oh, alright then. Hey we should play a game of wizard's chess when you get back!"

"Er, sure alright." Harry walked back into the dorm room and grabbed a pair of casual robes (he would definitely need to buy more soon) and changed into them and headed to the Great hall. He stopped at the Gryffindor table to grab a croissant and nodded to Parvati who was sitting and eating, before leaving again. Suddenly though, as he passed through the doors of the Great Hall, the croissant he was about to take a bite out of vanished.

"What the he-"

 _"_ _Ah yes, I think the door to the Great Hall is charmed to vanish any food that crosses its path," James said._

 _"_ _Why would they do that?"_ Harry asked in dismay.

 _"_ _Yes James, just why would they do that?"_ Lily asked in mock sarcasm.

 _"_ _Well,"_ James started sheepishly, _"it may have had something to do with the marauders."_

 _"_ _Really now?"_ Harry asked, half annoyed, half amused. _"Do tell."_

 _"_ _Back in the day, food used to be allowed to leave the Great Hall."_ Lily said. _"But then one day your father had the bright idea to charm the food to attack the students."_

 _"_ _Alright,"_ Harry said walking back to the Gryffindor table, _"but how does a small food prank warrant charming the doors to stop it from ever happening again?"_

 _"_ _Small?"_ James said indignantly. _"I'll have you know that, that has gone down as one of Hogwarts greatest pranks of all time. And it is one of the few where we didn't get caught."_

 _"_ _Really?"_ Harry asked interestedly taking a seat back at the table.

 _"_ _Definitely,"_ James said, _"You see it happened in the middle of our sixth year. Slytherin had just beaten Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match and it was rather brutal. Three Hufflepuffs were taken to the Hospital Wing during the game and a fourth Hufflepuff had to visit after as well to repair a sprained hand, which he played through."_

 _"_ _Ouch."_ Harry said.

 _"_ _Yup,"_ James said. _"Anyway, the Slytherin's were all being a bunch a bloody wank-"_

 _"_ _James!"_ Lily warned.

 _"_ _Er, that is to say they were being their usual foul selves, and we the Marauders felt we had to do something about it."_

 _"_ _Right."_ Harry said wondering where this was going.

 _"_ _Now we knew that it was guaranteed that Slytherin would have a party to celebrate after and there would be food and drinks in their common room. Now it just so happened that we had learned some advanced inanimate transfiguration that week, courtesy of Professor McGonagall."_

Harry started to see where this was going.

 _"_ _So we hatched a plan. Remus, Sirius, Peter and I snuck into the kitchens where the house-elves make the food. We got the house-elves to quickly bring us whatever snacks were available. Then we had Peter distract the elves and the rest of us started charming the food. When we were ready we politely asked the elves if they would send the food to the Slytherin common room where the rest of the food was. And voila, like that it was done."_

 _"_ _Ok,"_ Harry said, _"But how did you get the food to not attack yourselves?"_

 _"_ _That was the brilliant part. The first charm we cast on the food was a three minute delay-of-use charm. It's the same charm that is used to make portkeys leave at a set time."_

 _"_ _Ah,"_ Harry said, _"would eating the food before the three minute delay charm ended affect anything?"_

 _"_ _At the time we didn't actually think about what might happen if someone did that."_ James said. _"But later on we realized that any food consumed would lose the spell effects on it. Much like a chocolate frog. So anyways, the elves happy as can be brought the food into the Slytherin common room. And roughly three minutes later every food item we sent there literally exploded into action. There were pastries bouncing around the room smacking people. Sandwiches that got up and started running around screaming at the students. An entire chocolate cake started rolling around the floor bumping into people. Pure chaos. I think we even got old Snapey with a custard pie. Our only shame is that we couldn't watch the prank unfold. By the time the spells wore off the entire Slytherin common room was a sticky mess and every Slytherin was dripping or had been pelted, with some sort of food product."_

Harry thought about that while he grabbed a second croissant. _"That's actually quite brilliant. But why would the teacher's charm the doors to the Great Hall if the food came from the kitchens?"_

 _"_ _They didn't realized we used the elves to transport the food I believe. They had to have thought that somehow the food had been charmed at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. Anyways, that my son is why the doors have been charmed to not allow food to pass through it."_

Harry shook his head as he took a bite out of an egg sandwich. He suddenly thought about all the sweets he bought off the trolley on his ride on the Hogwarts Express and grinned thinking about what might happen if say 50 chocolate frogs that were charmed to attack people were released at once.

"Harry?" Harry was jerked out of his thoughts by Parvati. He briefly wondered if she'd been calling him for sometime. He hoped not.

"Yes?" he said turning quickly.

"Do you want to partner up again next potions class?" she asked biting her lip. "I mean.. if you want?"

"Sorry Parvati, I'm actually going to be pairing with Daphne next. How does the following class sound though?"

She seemed dismayed when he said he wouldn't be able to partner with her the next class, but brightened when he offered the class after.

"Sure that would be great," she said. "Who's Daphne?

Harry pointed over her shoulder. Parvati turned around to see a fair blond girl with aristocratic features sitting at the Slytherin table having her breakfast.

"Oh." she said turning around. "She's in Slytherin." she said, somewhat neutrally.

"Yep," Harry replied. Parvati looked like she wanted to say something about that, but didn't. Harry pretended not to notice as he finished his breakfast.

"Anyway's, I'm off. See you around Parvati."

"Bye Harry," she nodded back.

—

The Hogwarts library was a vast expanse of books, sacred tomes and archived files. A strong smell of old parchment assaulted Harry's nose as he entered. The floors and bookshelves were all made out of oak, smoothly sanded and stained dark brown. The library held different levels and stairs that brought you down into the dark recesses or up into the more brightly lit areas. The bookshelves rose high towards the ceiling which was twice as high as the normal classroom ceilings and was finished cathedral style. Towards the back half of the library was a roped off section with a sign hanging above that said, _Restricted Section_.

When Harry had first heard that Hogwarts had the largest library in the magical community, he had visions of reading through it in it's entirety, gaining wisdom beyond that of his peers and possibly his teachers. Learning long forgotten spells or ancient rituals filled him with excitement. Now that he was here though, he realized he could never hope to read all of it's contents even if he were to spend his whole life doing so. Rows upon rows, shelves upon shelves, it seems the creators of the library had put as many books inside as was magically possible. And that was saying something.

Harry was looking for something in particular. At first he started going shelf to shelf hoping to come across the section he was looking for before realizing it could take hours to find it. With some reluctance he paused and took a breath and slowed his breathing down. Trying not to reflexively tense his muscles like his body wanted to, he let an odd numbness crawl across his skin. It started at the tips of his hands and feet and rose through him. It gave him the feeling that his limbs were falling asleep, as if he had rested his hands and feet in an awkward position and the blood had stopped flowing through them. The numbness continued on until it rose up through his head and suddenly he could no longer feel his own body.

"Woah," he heard his own voice say. Although it wasn't him that said it. As Harry had released his control over his person, Lily had been in place to receive it. The feeling she had just had, was that of blood flow returning to its place. Harry would have the same feeling when he took back control. He watched fascinated as his hands and feet moved at Lily's will. His vision which he had been in control of, suddenly took on the role of a television screen as Lily moved his eyes around. It was a dizzying feeling.

"I missed this place," Lily said. Although it was his voice, Harry could hear his mothers inflections through it. Her emphasis on words in sentences was slightly different than his own and he listened in amusement as he heard his voice with his mom's tone speaking.

 _"_ _Think you can find it?"_ Harry asked. He watched as she started moving shelf to shelf and her eyes roved over the texts at dizzying speeds.

"I think so. Now let's see I believe Newspaper archives were kept on one of the shelves back here…"

 _"_ _Wait! I think I saw something back there."_ James said. _"A little to the right…there!"_

"I knew it was here," Lily exclaimed. She reached into the bookcase that was chalk full of old Daily Prophets and drew one out.

 _"_ _December 23, 1988_ ," Harry noted. _"We need to go back a few years."_

Lily (or Harry) put the newspaper back on the shelf and started drawing out other papers at random.

"November '88, August '88, March '88, October '87,"

 _"_ _We're on the right track, try the next shelf up,"_ Harry said.

Lily reached up and pulled out another paper, "September '86. We're in 1986 now."

 _"_ _One row up only got us back about 2 years," James said, "trying going up two rows."_

Lily reached over and grabbed a step stool, meant for reaching the higher shelves. Stepping up it she went a couple rows above where they had been and grabbed the first magazine.

"Lets see..January 1, 1981, I think we are on the right shelf." She took a look at the headline, _New Year's Eve festivities dampened as You-Know-Who strikes again_."

She started going through the papers until at last she pulled out one, "November 1,1981."

 _"_ _Grab the next day's paper as well."_ Harry suggested.

Grabbing both, Lily made her way down the ladder and sat down at a nearby table. Grabbing the first paper she noted the headline, _"You-Know-Who Gone! Harry Potter the Boy-Who-Lived."_

All three of them read the paper in silence as Lily turned the pages. After 15 minutes of skimmed reading they came to the end. She grabbed the next day's edition and his mum let out a sound of surprise.

 _"_ _Tragedy in London - Sirius Black arrested, 13 muggles and 1 wizard confirmed dead"_

She rushed to turn the newspaper to the next page where the article was. Centred on the page was a moving picture of a man Harry had heard about but never seen. Sirius Black was laughing maniacally. Another picture below showed a street scene. In it they could see the backside of a dark figure drawing a wand and pointing it at another short man who was facing them. Suddenly the entire street seemed to just blow up where the short man had been standing. He seemed to disappear as the explosion hit him. The view switched back to the dark man who had fallen to his his knees and was laughing manically until he was arrested. The picture then repeated the scene. Lily began reading the article.

 _Yesterday evening, in downtown muggle London, Obliviators and Aurors alike were called in to a most disturbing scene. Muggle eye witnesses (who have since been obliviated) state that Sirius Black (see photo) was seen drawing his wand on former classmate Peter Pettigrew, before the entire street seemed to blow up. It is believed that Black cast a dark explosive curse that ended the lives of the innocent muggles. Muggle authorities have been charmed to believe that the cause of the explosion was a gas leak._

 _Before being obliviated, the muggles reported that the shorter stout man (Pettigrew) seemed to be accusing Black of something._

 _"_ _Lily and James, how could you Sirius?"_

 _Indeed the muggles obviously would not know that Lily and James Potter had been murdered by You-Know-Who the night previous. From Pettigrew's last words we can derive that Black, had one way or another given the Potters over to You-Know-Who._

 _The betrayal of Sirius Black comes with mixed reaction. Some thought he was firmly on the side of the light, while others thought it was unsurprising that he would side with You-Know You, given his colourful family upbringing. Many sources claim that Sirius Black and James Potter and were as close as friends could be during their Hogwarts years._

 _While some might think that with the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, his supporters would scatter (as many have) some have yet to accept that without the Dark Lord, the doctrine on pure-blood supremacy they wish to push through is likely to fail. Sirius Black, it seems is one such supporter, believing that the war is still winnable. His tenaciousness to fight a losing battle, makes one wonder if he is perhaps You-Know-Who's greatest supporter._

Lily stopped reading and the three of them sat in silence for a moment. Harry watched the picture of Sirius blowing up the street over and over.

 _"_ _It just doesn't make sense,"_ James finally said.

"I don't think so either," Lily said.

 _"_ _What part?"_ asked Harry.

 _"_ _I offered Sirius to be the secret keeper, when we cast the fidelius charm on our hideaway cottage. But he turned it down. We knew there was a spy in the Order that knew we were going to cast that charm. Sirius said that it would be obvious that he would have been made the secret keeper because we were best friends. He suggested we tell everyone that he was the secret keeper, but make it somebody else. He suggested Peter Pettigrew."_

 _"_ _The man Sirius killed,"_ Harry said.

 _"_ _Right."_ James said, _"But only a few months after we made Peter the secret keeper, Voldemort attacked our home."_

 _"_ _You think Peter betrayed you."_ Harry said matter of factly.

"It is the most likely scenario."

 _"_ _And if Sirius and Peter got into a fight…then it must have been because Sirius knew Peter betrayed you…which means he was going after Peter for revenge, not the other way round, like the paper says,"_ Harry commented, _"but why would he kill all those muggles too?"_

 _"_ _He wouldn't."_ James said confidently. _"But Peter might have… if he was desperate enough. He could have cast an exploding hex and turned into his animagus form. The muggles that gave their testaments would've just seen him disappear. And with Sirius pointing his wand at him the Aurors would have assumed he cast it."_

 _"_ _Alright," Harry thought. "I'm going to take my limbs back now if you don't mind…._ Ah," Harry shifted uncomfortably for a few moments as the sensation of pins and needles went through him.

"I'm never going to get used to that," he said. He grabbed the newspapers and put them back on the shelf and stepped down off the ladder. "Alright. Let's learn that animagus revealing spell.

—

Hermione Granger walked briskly down the stone walled hallway. It was a warm day and the castle had a light breeze running through it. Small groups of students were milling around, either standing talking, or walking though like she was. She was careful to not get bumped by anyone, as a first year girl she was small enough to get knocked over by most students whether inadvertently or not.

She reached her destination and stepped through the large double doors and took in the rich smell of oak and parchment. She had been here a few times (ok more than a few times) now and it was was easily her favourite place in the school. Here, social status and popularity were overcome by those who shared one thing in common, learning.

She was actually here, not to pull out a new book, but rather to get a head start on the next chapter of the transfiguration course book, they were working through in class.

She stopped when she thought she heard a familiar voice drift through the shelves.

"…know if it work.."

She rose from the table she just sat down at and listened carefully and moved towards it.

"..till we try it….We'll have to get in touch with the DMLE quickly…"

'Was that, Potter?' she thought.

She finally caught site of him after passing another bookshelf. He had a frown of concentration on his face and had his wand out as though he were casting something. He seemed to be muttering to himself.

"Harry?" she said.

He glanced up quickly in surprise and lowered his wand. "Oh hey Hermione, how goes it?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "What are you doing in Magical Archives?"

"Oh just looking up some old information. What brings you here?"

"Transfiguration." she said.

"Homework?" he asked confused, "I thought we didn't.."

"Oh no," she said quickly, "I was actually looking over what we will be learning next lesson."

"Ah."

"Were you just talking to someone?" she asked.

"Er no, just a- reading something aloud." he said gesturing to the newspapers.

"Oh. And your wand is out because?" she said raising her eyebrows.

"I was just practicing some wandwork."

"In the Library?" she asked.

"Well, now that you say it like that I should probably practice somewhere else. Madam Pince would be upset if I pulled a Finnegan and set a book on fire or something."

"You better not set a book on fire. Especially as this room is filled with paper and wood."

"Yeah that wouldn't be good. Any way I've got what I need." He started to walk towards the exit. "You coming?"

She shook her head. "Just got here actually. I'll see you later."

"Right, see you around."

Hermione stood there as his footsteps retreated. She looked around and noticed the ladder sitting a little further down the aisle. 'Had Harry put it there?' She walked over to it and looked up at the neatly stacked newspapers. High above her she saw one magazine that was not tucked away as well as the others were. She stepped up the ladder, careful not to trip over her dress robes and pulled the copy out. She began to read,

 _Tragedy in London.._

 _—_

It was a sunny afternoon that saw Harry walking down to Hagrid's hut. He knocked on the hut's door which promptly set off a loud series of barks followed by rapid scratching at the door.

"Back Fang, back!" Hagrid's voiced boomed out from inside.

 _"_ _Sound's like Hagrid's got a dog,"_ James remarked.

 _"_ _Well lets hope it's well fed."_ Harry responded nervously.

The door swung open for Harry to see Hagrid's oversize frame taking up the entire doorway.

"Harry!" Hagrid beamed. "Com' on in. Never mind Fang now, he's a harmless little fella."

Harry stepped inside and was almost knocked over by the smell of dog. Fang, a large black boar hound, let out an excited bark and bounded up to Harry and jumped up putting his front paws on his chest. Harry grinned and gave Fang's head a tussle.

"Down Fang, get down boy!" Hagrid ordered. "Why don't yeah grab a seat, Harry, anywhere is fine. I'm just gonna take the biscuits out of the oven."

Reluctantly Fang lowered himself off Harry who took an armchair in front of a small wood stove to sit at. Now that he adjusted to the smell of canine he could smell underneath it the scent of over-done biscuits cooking in an oven. A few minutes later Hagrid gave him a mug of tea and set a tray of biscuits down on a small table, before sitting down in an armchair himself on the other side of the table. Fang decided to curl up on Harry's feet.

"You look just like your da'," Hagrid said, "but with your mum's eyes."

"Did you know them well, sir?" Harry asked, even knowing that he did.

Hagrid nodded and took a sip of tea. "Your da', he was a heck of a wizard. He was a natural on a broomstick and played on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Was made Head Boy in his final year at Hogwarts too. But don't yea' think he was all about rules, now. 'Fore he was Head Boy, him and his friends were some of the greatest pranksters Hogwarts had ever seen."

Harry grinned. Sure James had told Harry much about himself, but to hear it from somebody else was a new experience.

"And what about my mum?" he asked grabbing a biscuit

"She was a brilliant witch too," he said, "Like your da', she was Head Girl. She was one of the brightest in her generation, or so Prof. Flitwick likes to say and I'd have to agree. She sure had a temper though and no one could rile her up like yer' da' could."

"Really?" Harry asked, taking a bite out of a biscuit. Or at least he tried too.

"Oh sure. Being a Quidditch star, and one of the best spell casters may have given your da' a bit of an ego though. But then sometime over 5th or 6th year your dad realized that he fancied yer mum. Him and his friends started to grow up a bit and then before you know it James and Lily were together."

"That's pretty cool." Harry finally gave up trying to eat the rock hard biscuit and discreetly slipped it to Fang. Hagrid told him all he could about his parents which wasn't much but was more than Harry had heard from anyone else in his life.

"But how about you Harry? I've been hearing that your already one of the best students of the year!" Hagrid said enthusiastically.

"Oh that's not such a big deal." Harry said downplaying things. "And it's only first year stuff anyway."

Hagrid grinned. "Yer' too modest Harry. It seems yea' got more than yer' eyes from yer' mum."

Harry blushed with praise. Now he figured was the time to see if he could find out anything about the third floor.

"So Hagrid what do you do at Hogwarts, I don't think you are a professor, or are you?"

"No, no. Not a Professor, much as I would love ter' be one. I'm the Groundskeeper and Keeper o' Key's here at Hogwarts."

"Really?" Harry asked. "What does that mean?" he asked politely.

"Well I help out 'round the castle and grounds and keep em' from fallin' outta repair."

"And the Key's?" Harry asked.

Hagrid pull open his brown overcoat to show a large set of keys on a ring that looked to be almost the size of a dinner plate.

"That's a lot of keys, " Harry murmured.

"Yep," Hagrid said pulling his jacket shut. "Helps me get 'round the castle and into rooms they don't want the students to be gettin' into."

"What kind of rooms?" Harry asked, hoping the conversation might steer toward a room in particular on the third floor corridor.

"Mostly just unused classrooms. A few for storage like with them Hallowe'en decorations, which I'm sure I'll have to be gettin' out soon actually."

Harry waited for Hagrid to go on, but after a moment he realized that was all he was going to say.

"Hey what about the room on the third floor?" Harry asked, hoping to put just the right amount of childish eagerness into his voice.

Hagrid gave him a sharp look for a moment before softening his gaze.

"Now Harry, you know yer' not supposed to be going there…"

"Oh yes," he responded quickly. "I was just wondering it was that was in there."

"I'm 'fraid I can't tell yea'," Harry tried not to let his disappointment show. "But Professor Dumbledore is right, if yea like yer' limbs attached to yer' body, yea wouldn't want to be going in there."

Harry grimaced. Hagrid was right on the mark on that one. Harry racked his brain trying to find another way to get an answer.

"Hey did you hear Gringott's was broken into?" he said gauging Hagrid's reaction.

"How'd you know 'bout that," Hagrid asked looking anywhere but Harry.

"The Prophet," Harry said, putting some enthusiasm into his voice, hoping to draw Hagrid in. "And it was on my birthday too."

Hagrid grunted in response.

"Just think, if you hadn't removed the package that day, the thief might have gotten to it first."

Hagrid nodded for a moment before he suddenly stopped and looked at Harry piercingly.

"Now wait just a minute, who told yea' that?"

Harry grinned. "You did just now." Hagrid looked quite upset with himself.

"That's what in the third floor corridor isn't it?" he decided to ask while he was on a roll.

Hagrid's darkening face told him he was right again.

"Now what on earth could be so valuable that someone would risk breaking into Gringotts of all places to steal it."

"Now look here Harry, I know what you're thinking and I'm warning you now to stay away from that room."

"I just-"

"I mean it Harry, what's hidden in that room is between Dumbledore, Nicholas Flamel and I."

"Nicholas Flamel?"

"Gah!" Hagrid looked furious with himself again. "Look at the time! Harry I think it's time for you to go, I'll need to be going into the forest now anyway."

Hagrid stood up and took Harry's teacup and ushered him toward the door.

"Oh ok. Thanks for the tea Hagrid."

"Yer' welcome, Harry. Enjoy yer' afternoon now."

Hagrid shut the door and breathed a sigh of relief.

—

Harry entered the Gryffindor tower that afternoon with the intention of seeking out Hermione. Before he could look for her though he was confronted by Ron and whole host of older Gryffindor students.

"Harry! Why didn't you tell us you're on the Quidditch team!"

"Er, I didn't-"

Ron was butted aside by an older student. "Potter you're really the new seeker?"

"Er yeah," But before he could finish the person had rushed off to tell his friends and another person was talking to him.

"Wood says you were the best flyer he'd ever seen."

"He was actually grinning when he put up the list." another student said.

"List?" Harry asked. And then he saw a new item written in red on what looked like gold parchment on the Gryffindor notice board.

 ** _Gryffindor Quidditch Team_**

 ** _Chasers_**

 _Johnson_

 _Spinnet_

 _Bell_

 ** _Beaters_**

 _Weasley (Fred)_

 _Weasley (George)_

 ** _Keeper_**

 _Wood_

 ** _Seeker_**

 _Potter_

 ** _Captain:_** _Wood_

"Mate that is bloody awesome." Ron said. "You must be the youngest seeker ever. Man I can't wait to watch a game!"

"Hey Harry." Ron and Harry turned to see a group of three taller older girls approaching them.

"Welcome to the team. I'm Angelina Johnson," said the darkest skinned witch said.

"Alicia Spinnet," said the witch beside her. She was dark also, thought not as much as Angelina was.

"Katie Bell. We're the Gryffindor Chasers." the last girl said. Unlike the other two she was fair skinned.

"Harry Potter." he said needlessly, introducing himself. "Seeker."

"We look forward to seeing what you can do out there," Angelina said, "Wood has been shut in his room drawing up new plays, because of you."

"Really?" Ron said. Harry could see the crazed gleam in his friend's eyes and knew he would love to see some of those plays.

"Yeah," Angelina said, "He's fanatical about winning the cup. He'd be having us practicing dusk till dawn if he could."

"Sometimes we're actually grateful for classes, otherwise he'd be hauling us onto the Quidditch pitch every day." Alicia added.

"Sounds like a real taskmaster." Harry said.

"You have no idea." Angelina said. "Any way, we just wanted to say welcome to the team and now we've done so. See you on the pitch."

"Looking forward to it." Harry replied before the girls left.

"Mate, I still can't believe you're on the team. This is going to be wicked. Do you think I'll be able to watch some practices? They wouldn't mind would they?"

Ron went on to talk about the various Quidditch plays and tactics that he knew of and was hoping Gryffindor would use in a game. Harry simply grinned and nodded his head when needed as Ron went on. He then saw Hermione walk into the common room.

"Hey hold that thought Ron, I need to ask Hermione something."

"Yeah sure thing mate. What are we asking her?" he said.

Harry paused realizing Ron thought he was invited in to a conversation, he really didn't want him getting involved in.

"Oh, actually it's something between just me and her." At Ron's slightly betrayed look he quickly added. "And afterwards I'll let you beat me in a game of chess."

"Let me beat you!" Ron said indignantly, before seeing Harry's grin. "Oi, you're on mate. I'll get my set right now." he said running upstairs, presumably to get his chess set.

Harry chuckled and walked over to Hermione.

"Hey."

"Hi Harry," she said, quickly, almost but not quite meeting his eyes.

It took Harry a moment to realize Hermione seemed uncomfortable.

"Umm, everything alright?" he asked.

"Oh no, everything's fine." Again not meeting his eyes, and her cheeks seemed to be flushing slightly.

"Alright. Hey I talked to Hagrid this afternoon."

"Really, what did you find out?" she said eagerly and it seemed like she was back to herself.

"Well it turns out that he did bring something back from Gringotts and it was from the same vault that was broken into."

"Really?" she gasped.

"Yeah. And whatever it is, it's what's being guarded by Fluffy."

"Do you know what it is?" she asked.

"No but I did get a clue. He said that whatever the item is, it's between him, Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel."

"Nicholas Flamel?" she said.

"Yeah. Tell me, have you heard of him?"

She frowned in concentration. "No I don't think so. But if he's a notable wizard we might be able to find out in the Library."

Harry nodded. "That's what I was thinking."

Hermione went quiet again.

"Are you sure everything's ok?"

Hermione was about to answer, when Ron walked over to them.

"Oi, game's ready Harry. Granger," he said acknowledging Hermione, who just looked at him.

"Go ahead." she said, "I'm going to finish some studying anyway. Goodnight Harry, Weasley." She headed to her dorm.

"That girl seriously needs a hobby," Ron said, shaking his head. "C'mon, how about a best out of three?"

While Ron was beating him at chess, Harry thought about what might be bothering Hermione.

 _"_ _Maybe she's not even upset with you at all."_ James said.

 _"_ _No I'm pretty sure it had something to do with me. I didn't realize it at first, but as soon as she saw me her face went kind of blank."_

 _"_ _Maybe she feels you're holding out on her." Lily offered. "After all you both know you're keeping secrets from her. That could be bothering her."_

 _"_ _Maybe."_ Harry replied, wincing as a bishop was reduced to chess piece rubble.

"Checkmate," Ron announced. "Three out of five?"

"Nah I'm knackered mate. I'm gonna get some shut-eye." Harry got up and stretched.

"Night Harry."


End file.
